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Pope Francis’ message to participants at the meeting
‘common good: theory and practice’
[Hall of Pius XI– Palace of Saint Callixtus, 14 November 2024]
Common Good: Theory and Practice
A conversation between Mia Mottley (Prime Minister of Barbados)
and Mariana Mazzucato (Professor, Economics of Innovation and Public Value).
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Message from Pope Francis:
am very happy to address my cordial greeting to all the participants in the meeting “The Common Good: Theory and Practice”, organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Among the many reflections on the common good, this meeting is particularly important for at least two reasons.
The first is that it is being promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life.
If we really want to defend human life in every context and in every situation, we cannot avoid placing life issues, even the most classical ones of the bioethical debate, in the social and cultural context in which such phenomena occur.
A defence of life which is limited to certain aspects or moments, and which does not take into account in an integral way all the existential, social and cultural dimensions, risks being ineffective and may fall prey to the temptation of an ideological approach, in which abstract principles are defended more than real people.
The search for the common good and justice are central and indispensable aspects of any defense of every human life, especially the most fragile and defenseless, with respect for the entire ecosystem in which we live.
The second reason I would like to highlight is that at this event, two women with different responsibilities and backgrounds will be present at this event.
We need, in society as well as in the Church, to listen to women’s voices; we need different forms of expertise to help formulate of a broad and wise reflection on the future of humanity.
We need all the world cultures truly to be able to make a real contribution and to express their needs and resources.
Only in this way can we “imagine and engender an open world”, as I advocated in the third chapter of my Encyclical Fratelli tutti.
With reference to that Encyclical, I would like to say that universal fraternity is, in a way, a “personal”, warm way of understanding the common good.
It is not simply an idea, a political and social project, but rather (universal fraternity) is a community of faces, of histories, of people.
The common good is above all a practice, made up of a fraternal welcome and a common search for truth and justice.
In our world, which is marked by so many conflicts and contrasts resulting from the inability to look beyond particular interests, it is of great importance to recall the common good, one of the cornerstones of the Church’s social doctrine.
We need solid economic theories that take on and develop this theme in detail, so that it can become a principle that effectively inspires political choices (as I indicated in my Encyclical Laudato si’) and not merely a category much invoked in words but disregarded in deeds.
I cordially bless you all and ask you to pray for me.Vatican City, 12 November 2024
FRANCIS
