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Popular Movements Meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican November 20th, 2014
“I accompany you with my heart on this journey. Let us say together from our heart: no family without a dwelling, no rural workers without land, no worker without rights, no person without the dignity that work gives.” —Pope Francis
Pope Francis called a meeting at the Vatican of Popular Movements in late October.
In his address, Pope Francis invited the assembly to be in solidarity with each other and the church. “Solidarity.” He said, “means much more than some acts of sporadic generosity. It is to think and to act in terms of community, of the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few. It is also to fight against the structural causes of poverty, inequality, lack of work, land and housing, the denial of social and labor rights. It is to confront the destructive effects of the empire of money: forced displacements, painful emigrations, the traffic of persons, drugs, war, violence and all those realities that many of you differ and that we are all called to transform.”
Read an account of the session: World Meeting of Popular Movements, Oct. 2014
- Speech of Pope Francis (English, unofficial translation) Spanish
- 15-Point Declaration (English, unofficial translation) Spanish
Pope Francis Encourages Attendees at Impact Investment Conference June 20th, 2014
The Holy Father met with participants of a Vatican-sponsored conference on impact investing – investments designed to serve the common good. The Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace organized a two-day sharing of strategies around impact investing – what is it, how it can help the poor and how to develop it further. Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI spoke at the conference on Tuesday.
The Pope said: “It is important that ethics once again play its due part in the world of finance and that markets serve the interests of peoples and the common good of humanity. It is increasingly intolerable that financial markets are shaping the destiny of peoples rather than serving their needs, or that the few derive immense wealth from financial speculation while the many are deeply burdened by the consequences.” His remarks reportedly offered a good summary of the issues, opportunities and challenges involved in impact investing.
Read Pope Francis’ address to conference participants here…
The Pope and President Obama Discuss Common Commitment to Eradicate Trafficking March 27th, 2014
The Vatican Press Office released a statement regarding Thursday morning’s meeting between Pope Francis and U.S President Barack Obama. The statement notes that the two leaders discussed “current international themes” and expressed the hope that “in areas of conflict there would be respect for humanitarian and international law and a negotiated solution between the parties involved.”
The statement goes on to say that in the context of bilateral relations between the U.S. and the Holy See, the Pope and the President discussed “questions of particular relevance for the Church in that country, such as the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection, as well as the issue of immigration reform.”
Finally the statement notes that Pope Francis and President Obama spoke of a “common commitment to the eradication of human trafficking. Text from the Vatican Radio website.
Pope Francis Issues World Day of Peace Message January 6th, 2014
“Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace” is the 2014 message of Pope Francis, which is also his first for the annual World Day of Peace, Jan. 1.
In the Peace message, Pope Francis offers his best wishes for a life filled with joy and hope. “In the heart of every man and woman is the desire for a full life,” he says, “including that irrepressible longing for fraternity which draws us to fellowship with others and enables us to see them not as enemies or rivals, but as brothers and sisters to be accepted and embraced.”
Read the Pope’s Message (Open PDF)
Pope Francis and the Social Responsibility of Corporations December 20th, 2013
Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI argues that the “recent distraction about the purported “Marxist” beliefs of Pope Francis pronounced by people who have obviously not taken the time to read his recent exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, (The Joy of the Gospel) is just that, a distraction.”
The real news, intentionally buried by this distraction, is that a growing portion of the business community acknowledges that their “social license to operate”, their corporate charter and their commitment to “good citizenship” demands that they integrate the social values and policies that the Holy Father and others in the faith community espouse into their business models.”
Read more about how the corporate sector is responding to the demands for more ethical and sustainable practices. Read Fr. Finn’s latest blog on Huffington Post.
