Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has called for shared responsibility in responding to the social, economic and technological changes shaping the world, warning that progress should not create new forms of harm or exclusion.
The Pope made the remarks on Saturday, September 12, when he received participants in the Fourth Fratelli Tutti Synodal Meeting at the Vatican. The meeting was held in Rome from September 10 to 12.
The gathering brought together representatives of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Representatives of international organisations, regional development banks, businesses, foundations, trade unions, employers’ associations, universities, ecclesial networks and social organisations also took part.
Pope Leo said the wide range of participants showed a willingness to continue dialogue and develop approaches that are more human, sustainable and based on solidarity.
He recalled his call to the College of Cardinals on May 10, 2025, for a courageous and confident dialogue with the contemporary world. He said such dialogue is part of the Church’s evangelising mission because the Church must engage with the real circumstances in which people live.
The Pope said scientific and technological progress offers unprecedented possibilities but also creates new responsibilities. Rather than simply deciding whether to accept or reject particular technologies, he said the deeper question is what kind of humanity society wants to build and what place each person will have in it.
He stressed that the scale of current changes requires cooperation beyond the capacity of any single institution. He therefore welcomed efforts to promote a North South Shared Responsibility Agenda for multisectoral cooperation.
Pope Leo said public institutions, businesses, workers, universities, communities and social organisations should share their knowledge, abilities and resources in the service of the common good.
He also addressed the role of Catholic Social Teaching in responding to new realities. He said it should not be treated as a fixed set of rules to be applied mechanically, but as a process of shared discernment.
According to the Pope, Catholic Social Teaching offers criteria for assessing whether decisions respect human dignity and serve the common good, while leaving different actors responsible for making their own decisions.
Pope Leo also called for institutions that can regulate new developments without unnecessarily restricting them. He urged businesses to measure success not only by profit but also by their respect for human dignity.
He further encouraged what he described as a healthy culture of negotiation, saying it can create opportunities for dialogue when differences appear to leave no room for agreement. Such efforts, he said, can also contribute to the diplomacy of peace.
Concluding his address, Pope Leo expressed hope that the progress of the present age would not leave new ruins behind and that what humanity builds could become a home and refuge for all.