Papal Notes - Meeting with the "merchants of the earth"

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. Revelation 18:3

"On June 15, 2024, Pope Francis met with the CEOs of major banks and corporations at the Vatican during a papal audience. 

The Pope met with these leaders because he believes they possess significant power and influence over “international public policies.” The Pope expressed to the CEOs that governments are moving too slowly in passing laws to safeguard the environment; consequently, he urged the big businesses and financial institutions to “place the environment and the earth at the center of your attention and responsibility” and to push for advancements and innovations aimed at protecting our “common home.”

Pope Francis addressed the following to the heads of the major banks and corporations:
• “It is with pleasure that I welcome you, the CEOs and employees of major corporations and banks.” 

• “Large companies are players in the dynamics of international relations. You therefore find yourselves making decisions that have an impact on thousands and thousands of workers and investors, and increasingly on a global scale. Economic power is intertwined with political power. Large corporations, in fact, in addition to consumption, savings and production choices, also condition the fate of governments, national and international public policies, and the sustainability of development.” 
• “I invite you to place the environment and the earth at the center of your attention and responsibility. We are in a time of serious environmental crisis, which depends on many actors and factors, including the economic and business choices of yesterday and today. It is no longer enough to comply with the laws of states, which proceed too slowly: we need to innovate by anticipating the future, with courageous and far-sighted choices that can be imitated. The innovation of the entrepreneur today must first and foremost be innovation in caring for the common home.” 

Pope Francis is not waiting for legislatures to enact the laws that he

believes should be passed. The Pope is making an appeal to people who he thinks have the ability to assist in bringing about the changes he wishes to see in the world. The Pope will move forward regardless of whether political leaders hesitate to act. It is clear that Pope Francis is fighting to transform the world to reflect the principles of his climate message, as found in Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum." 

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