Pope Francis on “rethinking solidarity” at Centesimus Annus conference

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday addressed members of the Fondazione Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice concluding their three-day conference here at the Vatican.

Instituted in 1993 by Blessed John Paul II two years after his encyclical Centesimus Annus, the aim of the FCAPP, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year, is to be a vehicle for lay education and evangelization of Catholic social doctrine.

Speaking to members of the organization, Pope Francis called attention to the theme of the conference: “Rethinking solidarity for employment: the challenges of the 21st century.”

In light of the current economic crisis and the rapid spread of unemployment, the pope said “There is no worse form of material poverty… than that which makes it impossible to earn a living and which deprives someone of the dignity of work.”

It is therefore not enough to help the poor, the Holy Father said, but we must reform the system at the global level in a way that is consistent with the fundamental human dignity.

The root causes of the current crisis are not only economic and financial, but ethical and anthropological, where the “idols of power, of profit, of money,” are valued more than “the human person.”

Pope Francis said “We must return to the centrality of man, to a more ethical view of business and human relations, without the fear of losing something.”

Listen to Ann Schneible’s report: