Sr. Raffaella Petrini’s address, at the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, held in Rome underscored the urgent need for an economic model that serves humanity rather than exploits it.
Newsroom (17/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) The global financial crisis of 2008 and the Covid-19 pandemic have exposed deep flaws in traditional economic systems, prompting a global reevaluation of their foundations. These crises have fueled a growing consensus among academics, policymakers, and religious leaders: the economy must be reoriented to prioritize the human person, with their inherent dignity and fragility at its core.
This perspective was central to Sr. Raffaella Petrini’s address, as President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, during the “For a Human Economy and Finance” session at the World Meeting on Human Fraternity 2025, held in Rome on September 12. Her remarks underscored the urgent need for an economic model that serves humanity rather than exploits it.
“Human beings are inherently interdependent, unable to meet their needs alone,” Sr. Petrini noted. She argued that the economy’s original purpose—mediating humanity’s relationship with its environment to ensure dignified living conditions for all—has been overshadowed by a utilitarian focus on immediate profit. Instead, she advocated for a broader vision, one that prioritizes long-term sustainability, social equity, and solidarity, particularly for the most vulnerable.
At the heart of her message was the concept of integral human development, a cornerstone of Catholic Social Teaching revitalized by Pope Francis. This model does not reject markets or enterprise but reframes them as tools to serve human flourishing, not wealth accumulation. It values human creativity, responsible stewardship of private property, and financial transparency, all in service of freedom and dignity.
Sr. Petrini highlighted that this vision resonates beyond religious circles. Economist Amartya Sen, in his seminal 1979 lecture “Equality of What?”, challenged traditional metrics of well-being, advocating for a capabilities-based approach that measures real opportunities for individuals to thrive. Similarly, philosopher Martha Nussbaum has emphasized rights, relationships, and personal fulfillment as essential to a good life. These ideas align with Pope Francis’s call for an economy rooted in ethics, where money serves humanity rather than dominates it—a rejection of what theologian Harvey Cox termed the “deification of the Market.”
The session introduced the idea of an “economy of care,” or what Pope Leo XIV called an “economy of hope.” This model embraces human complexity, prioritizing relationships, collective well-being, and environmental stewardship. In his address to the Third World Meeting on Human Fraternity, Pope Francis urged participants to forge pathways—locally and globally—that foster social charity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and intergenerational solidarity. He emphasized including the poor not as passive recipients but as active contributors, capable of shaping their futures.
The Pope’s vision calls for a “great alliance for humanity,” built on care, generosity, and trust, rather than domination or profit. These virtues, he argued, are not peripheral but foundational to an economy that nurtures participation and inclusion. Sr. Petrini echoed this, advocating for a shift from ruthless competition to collaboration, from short-term gains to sustainable, shared responsibility.
Such an economy requires a broader cultural and political framework oriented toward the common good. As Pope Francis has stated, human creativity must be channeled to serve dignity, justice, and peace, ensuring economic tools remain subordinate to these ends. Workplaces and organizations, Sr. Petrini added, should foster meaningful relationships, reward ethical behavior, and promote inclusive decision-making. Alternative economic models—rooted in care, service, and mutual responsibility—must be supported.
In conclusion, Sr. Petrini framed a human-centered economy as both a moral imperative and a practical necessity. It is a system that fosters justice, inclusion, and solidarity, building networks of respect and reciprocity. By recognizing our shared fragility and interdependence, this approach offers a path toward a future where economic systems uplift humanity, ensuring greater freedom, justice, and shared well-being for all.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vaticanstate.va
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