Pope Francis asks those responsible for the economy to guarantee opportunities for dignified work

Courtesy of The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. All rights reserved. Used with permission.[/caption] The Holy Father, in the April edition of The Pope Video, called for the rejection of all economic systems that exclude people and only prioritize results and profitability. He emphasized the importance of putting the human person in first place, and emphasized the responsibility of businessmen and politicians. "Let us raise our voices together, asking that economists may have the courage to reject an economy of exclusion and know how to open new paths", Francis emphasized. "The economy cannot have as its only goal an increase of profitability, reducing the labor market and thus creating new excluded people," he added. The latest Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) suggests that the four fundamental policies to empower excluded people are: defending human rights, guaranteeing access to justice, fostering inclusion, and guaranteeing accountability. "The world has fewer than 15 years to achieve its bold agenda of leaving no one out," emphasizes the director of the report, Selim Jahan, in the document's prologue. "The economy should follow the path of the businessmen, politicians, thinkers, and social actors who put the human person in first place and do everything possible to ensure that there be opportunities for dignified work," the Pope said. "Our society, invaded by consumerism and by the creation of artificial necessities, puts us to sleep, distracts us, and often often makes us forget the enormous challenges that we are experiencing in the face of an ‘economy of exclusion and inequality’ (Evangelii Gaudium #53) which casts aside great numbers of people, leaving them without work, without horizons, and with no way out. What kind of society do we want? Behind the numbers and markets, there are people. Let us look for other possible paths," said Fr. Frédéric Fornos, SJ, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and of the Eucharistic Youth Movement. "As Pope Francis reminded us in 'The Joy of the Gospel,' authentic faith—which is never comfortable and individualistic—always entails a profound desire to change the world (Evangelii Gaudium #183). Let us pray and support those who try to think of and inaugurate new economic models that will be at the service of human life and will respect our 'common home,'" he added. https://youtu.be/viwmJ8IKZgU The papal prayer intentions are entrusted each month to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. The Pope Video is produced by La Machi Communication for Good Causes with the support of the Society of Jesus, IndigoMusic, GettyImagesLatam and the collaboration of the Vatican Television Center. It also has Aleteia as a media partner.