Pope Francis writes to participants in the Pontifical Academy for Life’s dialogue on “Common Good: Theory and Practice,” noting that the common good is a cornerstone of Catholic social teaching, and as such, life issues must always be kept at heart.
“It is of great importance to recall the common good, one of the cornerstones of the Church’s social teaching.”
Pope Francis stressed this in his letter to an event – a “Dialogue on Common Good: Theory and Practice” – organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life and taking place on 14 November in the Vatican
This dialogue first featured the reading of the Pope’s message by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of Academy, and is being followed by the dialogue between Professor Mariana Mazzucato of Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College in London, who serves as member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Life and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.
The dialogue is considering how a new economics of the common good can help create urgent well-designed action for our economic and social problems, related to health, the environment, including biodiversity, climate and water, and the future of artificial intelligence.
Earlier in the day, the Holy Father received Prime Minister Mottley in the Vatican.
Encouragement to promote the common good
In his letter, the Pope warmly greeted the participants, noting that within the wide range of reflections on the theme of the common good, this meeting he sees as being particularly significant for at least two reasons.
The first, he said, is that it is promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life.
“If we truly wish to safeguard human life in every context and situation,” he appealed, “we cannot ignore placing the themes of life, even those more classical in bioethical debates, within the social and cultural contexts in which these phenomena occur.”
“A defence of life that is limited to only certain aspects or moments, and that does not integrally consider all existential, social, and cultural dimensions,” Pope Francis warned, “risks being ineffective and may fall into the temptation of an ideological approach, where abstract principles are defended more than real people.”
Given this, the pursuit of the common good and justice, he said, “are central and essential aspects of any defence of every human life,” especially “the most fragile and defenceless, with respect to the entire ecosystem we inhabit.”
Societal needs
The second point he said he wished to highlight was that the event would feature the presence of two women with different responsibilities and backgrounds.
“We need, both in society and in the Church,” the Pope implored, “to listen to female voices.”
“We need,” Pope Francis continued, “different forms of knowledge to collaborate in the development of a broad and wise reflection on the future of humanity.”
And, he said, “We need the genuine contributions of all the world’s cultures, allowing them to express their needs and resources.”
Only in this way, he suggested, can we “think and generate an open world,” which the Pope recalled, he had encouraged in Chapter 3 of his Encyclical Fratelli tutti on human fraternity.
Referring to the Encyclical, the Pope emphasized that universal fraternity is, in some way, “a ‘personal,’ warm way of understanding the common good,” not “simply an idea, a political or social project, but rather a communion of faces, stories, and people.”
Cornerstone of Church’s social teaching
In addition, the Holy Father recalled, the common good is, “above all,” a “practice made up of fraternal acceptance and a shared search for truth and justice.”
“In our world marked by so many conflicts and divisions, which are often the result of an inability to look beyond individual interests,” the Pope lamented, “it is of great importance to recall the common good, one of the cornerstones of the Church’s social teaching.”
Moreover, he stressed, “We need solid economic theories that embrace and develop this theme in its specifics so that it can become an effective guiding principle in political decision-making” and “not merely a category often invoked in words, but disregarded in practice.”
Pope Francis concluded by imparting his Apostolic Blessing and inviting them to pray for him.
The Vatican News
