Vatican City, Dec 3, 2016 / 07:45 am
In an unprecedented event, Fortune 500 CEOs, members of the Time 100 and non-profit, academic, religious and labor leaders from throughout the world met in Rome to address the need for a global economic system that both encourages growth and aids the poor.
The two-day forum focused on the theme "The 21st Century Challenge: Forging a New Social Compact." Inspired by Pope Francis' continual call to help the poor and marginalized, the thought and business leaders discussed practical solutions to creating an inclusive and more humane economy and how to help eliminate poverty and the refugee problem around the world.
On the last day, Pope Francis addressed the leaders, thanking them for their work and encouraging them to keep the human person at the center of their solutions.
"I would like to offer a particular word of thanks for all that you are doing to promote the centrality and dignity of the human person within our institutions and economic models, and to draw attention to the plight of the poor and refugees, who are so often forgotten by society," the Holy Father said.