ADVERTISEMENT
The dialogue that God desires to establish with each of us through the paschal mystery of his Son has nothing to do with empty talk, such as that attributed to the ancient inhabitants of Athens, who “dedicated themselves to nothing except to say or hear something new” (Acts 17:21). Such talk, driven by an empty and superficial curiosity, characterizes worldliness in every age; in our day, it can also result from an improper use of the media.
4. A wealth to share, not to keep for oneself.
Today too, it is necessary to appeal to men and women of good will to share, through almsgiving, their goods with those most in need, as a means of personally participating in building a better world. Charity makes us more human, while hoarding risks making us less human, prisoners of our own selfishness. We can and must go further and consider the structural aspects of our economic life. For this reason, in the midst of Lent this year, from March 26 to 28, I convened a meeting in Assisi with young economists, entrepreneurs, and change-makers, with the aim of building a more just and inclusive economy. As the Church’s Magisterium has often repeated, political life represents an eminent form of charity (cf. Pius XI, Address to the Italian Federation of Catholic University Students, December 18, 1927). The same applies to economic life, which can be approached with the same evangelical spirit, the spirit of the Beatitudes.
ADVERTISEMENT