Pope Leo XIV calls for social justice at North-South dialogue

Pope Leo XIV addressed participants of the ‘Fratelli tutti: North-South Socio-Environmental Dialogue’ at the Vatican, calling for shared responsibility in tackling social, economic, and technological challenges. He emphasized that decisions must respect human dignity and that social justice serves as a critical metric for determining if development models truly serve humanity, particularly the most vulnerable.

During the meeting, which included representatives from international organizations, business, academia, and religious bodies, the Pope urged leaders to cultivate a culture of negotiation and peace diplomacy. He noted that true dialogue requires maintaining communication even when interests conflict and that the impact of consensus should be measured by its ability to protect those with the least power.

Addressing technological advancement, the Pope stated that the central question is not whether to adopt specific tools, but rather what kind of humanity we intend to build and what place each person will hold within it. He called for cooperation between public authorities, enterprises, and scientific communities to build more sustainable and solidary models of development.