Pope Francis tells Davos attendees to build "inclusive" societies
DAVOS, Switzerland - Pope Francis is urging political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos to create the conditions "for building inclusive, just and supportive societies."
Francis sent meeting participants a message after he returned from a weeklong visit to Chile and Peru on Monday.
He wrote: "We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of millions of people whose dignity is wounded, nor can we continue to move forward as if the spread of poverty and justice had no cause."
The pope said "selfish lifestyles" full of "opulence" have boosted unemployment, increased poverty, created new forms of slavery and widened the socioeconomic gap in many places.
Political leaders, corporate chieftains, top labor advocates and others are convening in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the latest meeting of the World Economic Forum.
By rejecting "throwaway" culture and a "mentality of indifference," Francis said entrepreneurs have the potential to effect substantial changes, such as "creating new jobs, respecting labor laws, fighting against public and private corruption, and promoting social justice."