The Pope Francis Economy

“The Pope Francis Economy”

Young Protagonists of Change

Photo ©: Vatican Media

(ANS – Vatican City – October 29, 2020) – “In a world sick with short-term thinking and little vision of the future, giving a voice to young people means starting to build bridges toward the future,” said Sr. Alessandra Smerilli of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in her speech on Tuesday, October 27, at the press conference for the presentation of the event “The Pope Francis Economy: Francis and young people from all over the world for the economy of tomorrow.”

“The Pope Francis Economy” is an international event featuring young economists and entrepreneurs from all over the world. It will be held by live stream from November 19 to 21 on the portal www.francescoeconomy.org. The Pontiff himself will participate at the conclusion of the three-day event.

“In these times of uncertainty, Pope Francis invites us to look beyond, to prepare for the future, and to do so in a concrete way, always with an eye to those who are most in difficulty. And young people are responding to this invitation. Therefore, they will not present us a document, they will not make a treatise on what ‘the Pope Francis Economy’ means, but they will prepare proposals, they will tell us how they want to commit themselves and what help they need,” explained Sr. Smerilli, professor of political economy at the Auxilium Pontifical School of Education and councilor of State of Vatican City.

One of the central themes of Francis’s economy, the nun pointed out, is “the re-evaluation of care within society and the economy as a key to shaping the future, together with the need for a more feminine and more inclusive economy and finance with greater participation of women.”

But in order to pursue this change of approach, the Pope does not propose a ready-made recipe that young people must only follow: rather, as the nun herself observed: “‘The Pope Francis Economy’ means, above all, young people, hope, and concreteness. It is not about inviting young people to spread a message, but asking them to help create it,” because, she concludes, “young people are a ‘present’ (and not just the future) who must be listened to.”

The initiative of “The Pope Francis Economy” developed following the invitation that the Holy Father sent on May 1, 2019, to economists, students, and male and female entrepreneurs under 35, and was scheduled for March 26 to 28, 2020, attending personally in Assisi; following the Covid-19 emergency, however, it was postponed to November 19 to 21, livestreamed.

The organization of the event in an online version will allow all young people registered (2,000 from 120 countries) to participate in the meeting. And the 12 thematic villages initially planned for those present in Assisi have been transformed into online work sessions that young people have already carried out in recent months. They are work and care; management and gift; finance and humanity; agriculture and justice; energy and poverty; profit and vocation; politics for happiness; CO² of inequality; business and peace; economy is feminine; companies in transition; life and lifestyles.