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Keynote speech by Pope Leo XIV at the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) in Buenos Aires. A profound message on the dignity of work, an economy at the service of the people, social fraternity, and the ethical challenges posed by technology and the environmental crisis.
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00:17We go live and listen the words to Pope Leo XIV at the Catholic University of Argentina.
00:32I warmly greet the Grand Chancellor, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and the President
00:38of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral Care, and I thank you for the words addressed
00:45to me on behalf of everyone present. In a special way, I thank those who shared their testimonies
00:56and artistic talents with us, bearing witness to the greatness of God in their lives.
01:06Just as music helps us lift our souls to God and transcend the everyday realities of our
01:14lives, work invites us to take part in the Lord's marvelous and harmonious activity. In
01:25this regard, St. John Paul II reminded us that men and women created in the image of God share
01:33by their work and the activity of the Creator and, within the limits of their own human
01:40capabilities, in a sense, continue to develop that activity and perfect it as they advance
01:48further and further in the discovery of the resources and values contained in the whole
01:55of creation. Work, therefore, is not an instrument of conflict. Rather, it helps build society through
02:06the contribution of all and respect for the order of creation. This conviction remains valid,
02:20however much the circumstances around us and even the very structure of work itself may change. Today,
02:30the anthropological underpinnings and the global dimension of work are not only confronted by the
02:38foundations of the economy, but are also challenged by the ecological crisis and the irresponsible use of the
02:47planet's resources. Wherever the domination of a few becomes the rule, work is turned into the
02:56exploitation of all components of the work community, and workers end up being valued solely for their
03:05efficiency. This reality takes on an unprecedented urgency when viewed from the perspective of integral ecology,
03:15articulated by Pope Francis, according to which work contributes to the responsible stewardship of creation,
03:27in which technological development must be harmonized with respect for the rhythms of nature
03:34and the limits of the various ecosystems. This is an insight that
03:40in this moment remains valid even now amid profound changes in the structure of work,
03:48when the interests of a few seem to prevail, forgetting that true progress is not what increases the well-being
03:58of some
03:59by degrading ecosystems, shifting costs onto the most disadvantaged communities,
04:06or compromising the living conditions of those who will follow us.
04:14all work, and every aspect of the work community must always bear this distinctive mark.
04:24It must be carried out by people who bring all their potential to bear, and it must likewise
04:31be directed toward the full development of those who perform it. Here we encounter the first and most
04:38fundamental of the principles of the Church's social doctrine, the dignity of the human person.
04:58The human person is the author, the center, and the goal of all economic and social life.
05:08The economy, therefore, must be at the service of the person, and not the person at the service of the
05:15economy.
05:28Although this statement may seem theoretical, it's a central point of the Church's social thought,
05:39dating back to my predecessor, Leo XIII,
05:42in order to foster harmony between all parties and eliminate conflicts in the workplace,
05:51he reflected upon the need to establish a proper balance between economic principles,
05:59the outlook of employers, and the needs of workers and their families.
06:15This is why unemployment is a genuine tragedy in the life of those affected by it.
06:22To deprive a person of work is not simply to deny that person an income.
06:28It severely wounds their dignity, deprives them of the ability to contribute to society,
06:35and plunges them into social exclusion, thereby fragmenting the unity of society and undermining
06:43the communal activity that is aimed toward the common good.
06:55As Pope Francis reminded us, in a genuinely developed society, work is an essential dimension of social life,
07:08for it's not only a means of earning one's daily bread, but also of personal growth,
07:16the building of healthy relationships, self-expression, and the exchange of gifts.
07:24Work gives us a sense of shared responsibility for the development of the world,
07:29and ultimately for our life as a people.
07:32Here we see how the principle of dignity is directly linked to the principle of the common good,
07:42defined as the sum total of social conditions, which allow people,
07:48either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.
07:56The common good requires us to overcome
08:03sterile individualism and corporatist utilitarianism, and to promote a culture of encounter
08:11in which economic growth is translated into genuine, ethical human development.
08:26From a Christian perspective, moreover, we see work as a means of sanctification,
08:35since through it we fulfill the will of the Most High.
08:41As we read in the opening pages of the Bible,
08:44the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
08:52This biblical mandate is the foundation of the principle of the universal destination of goods.
09:00Although the Church recognizes and defends the right to private property,
09:03this right is always subject to a social mortgage.
09:09The earth and its fruits have been given by God for the sustenance of all humanity.
09:28To till and keep means that we are not lords but stewards of an inheritance that must be shared
09:41with equity and justice, eliminating the structural inequalities that marginalize the weak,
09:50and taking into account our responsibility towards future generations.
09:56Such situations of inequality affect individuals, communities and nations,
10:04and even have an impact on relations between states, undermining mutual trust and each people's
10:12sense of belonging to the one human family, as well as the awareness of the duty of states to cooperate
10:19in resolving problems through joint decisions. We can therefore say
10:27that from the beginnings of our existence on earth, work has belonged to the way in which
10:35the human person cooperates with God's action in bringing the world to perfection.
10:44Human dignity, the common good, and the universal destination of goods.
10:50These principles speak to us of an intrinsic relational dimension and converge in the principle of
10:58solidarity. Solidarity is not a superficial feeling of compassion, but the responsibility
11:06of each person and each institution for the good of all. In a globalized economic structure that
11:14tends towards a throwaway culture, solidarity becomes a force capable of building a social structure
11:25that can redefine market needs and labor relations according to the criteria of justice and the logic of
11:36reciprocity. In this way, in the hands of those who know how to use them, talents become a privileged
11:46means of contributing to an effective common good that adapts to technological advances without leaving
11:56anyone behind. For Christians, this also means recognizing that it is God who acts within us,
12:07if we are humble enough to acknowledge it. The ingenuity with which the people of Argentina have
12:13applied themselves to work, contributed to the common good, and developed innovations useful to society is
12:22undeniable. To mention only a few examples, we can think of areas such as astronomy, agriculture,
12:33medical science, where the contributions of Argentinians have led to significant advances.
12:52We can also think of the quiet and sacrificial work involved in household tasks,
12:57projects, the unpaid hours devoted to preparing mate for neighborhood children.
13:14For the long days spent plowing, cultivating, and harvesting a field, here the principle of
13:27subsidiarity is clearly manifested, by which it's established that neither the state nor large
13:35corporations should absorb the initiatives and capacities of local communities and intermediate
13:43associations,
13:51but rather support and strengthen them. In the tradition of the Church of social thought,
14:02the state is not expected to do everything. Rather, it has the task of fostering the activity of
14:10intermediate bodies, like families, local authorities, social groups, and movements, while retaining its
14:20regulatory power for the common good and taking on those tasks that lower-level associations cannot
14:36fulfill. Today, this principle, which Pope Pius XI was the first to incorporate into social doctrine,
14:46has become the framework for government action
14:51and for the regulation of forms of economic integration between states.
14:57At the same time, popular movements, the popular economy, and informal workers,
15:06waste pickers, farmers, and artisans, are living expressions of this act of subsidiarity,
15:14which Pope Francis defended in his address to popular movements.
15:32They do not passively wait for state assistance. They organize themselves from the grassroots to build
15:44community-based community-based solutions through their demand for social inclusion.
15:52They advocate the three T's, Tierra, Teco, y Trabajo, land, housing, and work,
15:58and work, which Pope Francis often indicated as requirements of social justice.
16:27This is why it's so encouraging to hear your testimonies, dear friends, and to discover
16:37how God has been growing within you through the path of humility. We come to realize
16:45ourselves that we are not self-sufficient, that we need others, and that only by opening ourselves
16:54to collaboration with those around us can we build a better world together.
17:02Just as God created each of us in a unique way, he also counts on each one of us as
17:09individuals.
17:10At the same time, however, he invites us to communion, to enter into relationship with him and with others.
17:19This is the path toward building the united Argentina that we desire for the future.
17:26A genuine social friendship, in the words of Fratelli Tutti, which overcomes dialectical polarization
17:34and shapes an architecture of peace, founded on justice and dialogue, at both the national and multilateral levels.
17:55In the business world, the life of Venerable Enrique Shaw, a Catholic entrepreneur,
18:07the life of Venerable Enrique Shaw, a Catholic entrepreneur,
18:14who underwent a conversion after discovering the beauty of the Gospel, as expressed in the Church's social doctrine,
18:23speaks to us with particular force. The future blessed with his Christian understanding of the human person,
18:30understood that industry was not just a productive mechanism or a means of accumulating capital,
18:37but a true community of people called to grow together. His thought thoroughly studied at this university,
18:46which he himself helped to found, is clearly expressed in his own words.
18:55It is necessary to form Christian business leaders and provide them with a specific way of living,
19:02that of contributing to a better world, principally through the action of each Christian business leader in his own sphere.
19:10This is a mission of religion and life, seeking to sanctify ourselves through our profession,
19:17to sanctify the profession, and to sanctify the profession. Business leaders, whose capital creates jobs,
19:27often put their own assets at risk, for it's impossible to create wealth in a country without personal involvement,
19:38without accepting the uncertainty that the future brings, whose parameters are entirely beyond our control.
19:47At the same time, we must remain alert to the danger of greed, which, as Pope Francis said,
19:58is a sickness of the heart.
20:10The business vocation is a noble task when it's guided by the principle of the social function of property and
20:20capital.
20:21When economic profit is established as the sole criterion of success,
20:28a business becomes dehumanized and turns into a structure of sin that generates exclusion.
20:43business leaders are called to overturn this technocratic mentality through ethical investment
20:52that gives priority to the dignity of work and environmental sustainability, recognizing that
21:00financial success must be measured in terms of the common good.
21:08In this regard, trade unions and workers' associations find an important area for growth and development
21:15by becoming more directly involved in ensuring that workers' conditions are dignified.
21:34The initiatives which emerged from that tradition, including associations,
21:40trade unions, cooperatives, and welfare associations, have contributed decisively to improving labor legislation,
21:48protecting the most vulnerable, and promoting more human conditions.
21:53Their specific mission is to be instruments of solidarity and cohesion,
21:58channels of cooperation between workers and businesses.
22:01From this perspective, trade unions are indispensable institutions when they defend those who have no voice
22:11and resist the co-modification of labor.
22:31To maintain this moral authority, however, the trade union movement must keep its gaze fixed on the
22:39the existential peripheries, welcoming and reaching out to precarious workers and those excluded from the formal systems,
22:48while taking into account the profound transformations affecting the work community.
23:03The challenges posed by artificial intelligence
23:09and unregulated automation can put countless jobs at risk and become a real threat to proper,
23:19integral, integral human development. Technology must always be subject to ethics.
23:30An algorithm cannot replace human discernment or the intrinsic value of a worker's physical presence and effort.
23:49Public authorities must ensure that this does not happen.
23:54On the contrary, access to work for all must be a high priority for public policies.
24:13And economic processes serving as a criterion for evaluating the human quality of any development model.
24:27The commitment of public authorities is indispensable
24:30and promoting stable policies that foster full employment and social inclusion within an ethical framework.
24:50Within an ethical framework in which the economy, the market and the state act according to the principle of subsidiarity
24:59and the just redistribution of opportunities.
25:04God calls each of us to be attentive to the needs of those around us, serving others through our work.
25:16Recognizing the face of those who suffer in urban and rural peripheries
25:22is the key to the political love proposed by Fratelli Tutti is not an abstract utopia,
25:32but a political and theological category that obliges us to regard one another as equals,
25:40breaking down the walls of globalized indifference.
25:44Let us not shy away from our daily encounter with Christ in the tasks of each day, however banal and
25:51insignificant they may seem to us.
25:54No work is trivial in the eyes of God.
25:58The greatness of a task lies not in what is done,
26:03but in the love invested in every gesture, every word and every thought.
26:16Dear brothers and sisters,
26:23in a world undergoing profound change,
26:26I leave you with the principles that give rise to the Church's social doctrine
26:32as a task to be undertaken,
26:35defend the dignity of the human person,
26:38promote the common good,
26:40recognize the universal destination of goods,
26:43practice effective solidarity and responsible subsidiarity,
26:47so that together we may build the civilization of love.
26:52Let us work perseveringly,
26:56placing God at the forefront of our actions
26:59and the human person at the center of our choices.
27:11Only in this way can we be sure that we are following on earth the path that God has prepared
27:21for us in heaven.
27:23Indeed, only in this way can our work bear fruit,
27:26fruit that will last.
27:42These were the words of Leo Fortina at the Catholic University in Argentina.
27:53with the meeting with the World of Work at the University of Argentina in Buenos Aires.
27:59We have more news coming up and more of Pope Leo's visit to Argentina and his turn in South America.
28:07Stay tuned to The Loser English.
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