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At 11.30 today, at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, a press conference was held to present the event Restarting the Economy , scheduled to take place at Castel Gandolfo from 28 to 30 November, promoted by the “ Economy of Francesco” Foundation, with the support of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

The speakers were: Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, president of the Economy of Francesco Foundation; Professor Luigino Bruni, economist and vice-president of the Foundation; the Reverend Fr. Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico, S.J., office head of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Paolo Santori, president of the Scientific Committee of the Foundation (by remote connection); Luca Iacovone and Rita Sacramento Monteiro, staff of The Economy of Francesco .

The following are their interventions:

 

Intervention of Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino

Restarting the Economy is the first world event of The Economy of Francesco to take place outside Assisi and without the presence of Pope Francis. A new development that marks not a distance, but rather an extension: the spirit of Assisi, it has affirmed, has become close to Rome and to the Pope, so as to continue to inspire an economy capable of placing itself at the service of humanity and of creation.

From Francis of Assisi, who divested himself of everything to share the life of the poor, we still receive indications today that are decisive for rethinking the economic paradigm. And from Pope Francis, who chose that name and that mission, we have received strong words on the economy understood as care for the ‘ oikos’ , the home: the personal home, the common home, the human family and creation, in which every being is a brother and sister.

The Economy of Francesco stems from this dual heritage: Franciscan spirituality and the social doctrine of the Church. The Pope wished to entrust this task, this confidence, to us. We remember well what he told us a year ago, when a delegation from our organization met with him: “ Be witnesses, do not be afraid, hope tirelessly ”. It was, in a sense, his testament to us.

Today, this journey continues with Leo XIV, the new Pope, who has chosen a name in continuity with Leo XIII, the Pontiff of Rerum Novarum , which gave rise to the modern social doctrine. This too is a sign. We are on the right path.

 

Intervention of Professor Luigino Bruni

With over 600 participants expected, the second international conference conference of The Economy of Francesco exceeds all expectations. This is a sign that young people’s commitment to changing the economy is alive and capable of shaping the future. Restarting the Economy is the EoF version of the Jubilee: a return to the original biblical meaning—the liberation of today’s slaves (to addictions, usury, poverty), the remission of debts (and therefore the major issue of finance, good and bad), the restitution of land (ecology, justice, the challenges facing the Amazon, Africa, and our cities).

During the event, the Eof Fraternity Report 2025 will be presented, the result of this year’s work and destined to become an annual appointment: a measurement of the state of fraternity in the world, a concept dear to Saint Francis, to Pope Francis, and to the movement itself. It is an unprecedented work of scientific value, which will also be flanked by a first measurement of the “spiritual capital” existing in our societies.

The programme will be extensive and dynamic, with over one hundred presentations in the workshops, more than 120 proposals gathered through the competition for extraordinary ideas , and the participation of around 80 high school students. It will be a true exhibition of the prophetic economy of young people.

“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams” ( Joel ). Pope Francis dreamt, and the young are prophesying. Let us try to listen to their voice and their cry.

 

Intervention of the Reverend Fr. Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico, S.J.

The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has accompanied the Economy of Francesco since the very beginning, recognizing in the movement a strong harmony with its own mission. Values such as the centrality of the person, social and ecological justice, solidarity, inclusion, and cooperation represent common ground on which a respectful accompaniment of the movement’s autonomy has developed, capable of supporting its growth and initiatives in recent years. It is in this context that the Dicastery’s interest in the EoF Fraternity Report 2025 also fits in, a tool designed to make the degree of fraternity within economies visible and measurable, and to translate the values that inspire the Economy of Francesco into operational terms.

From 28 to 30 November the international event Restarting the Economy will be held in Castel Gandolfo, which the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is accompanying with conviction, recognizing its value as a space for discussion of the crucial issues of our time: labour and the new forms of exclusion, the economic and ecological debt, climate justice, the use of technologies, and the sustainability of systems of production and consumption.

The initiative represents an important opportunity to relaunch a vision of the economy based on fraternity, understood not only as an ethical principle, but as a structural element of development. A fraternity that is translated into trust in markets, cooperation between social and institutional actors, and the inclusion of the most fragile people. It is in this context that the EoF Fraternity Report 2025 fits in, a tool that the Dicastery views with interest for its ability to make measurable—based on empirical data—those elements of reciprocity, openness, and cohesion that can guide policies, formation, and pastoral action, both inside and outside the Church.

 

Intervention of Paolo Santori

The report presented by the Economy of Francesco highlights how fraternity, a moral and social pillar, can also be a decisive, albeit as yet unmeasured, economic component. By developing an innovative indicator based on international data, the study analyses the level of fraternity within and between global economies. Rooted in the legacy of Saint Francis and in the teachings of Fratelli tutti , the document clarifies the contemporary meaning of “fraternity” and invites us to rethink development, cooperation and collective wellbeing, beyond partial or ambiguous visions of the term.

 

Intervention of Rita Sacramento Monteiro and Luca Iacovone

More than six hundred young people from over sixty countries, including students from European secondary schools, will engage with experts from various fields: economists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, theologians, artists, and policy makers. The program will consist of plenary sessions with international guests such as Sabine Alkire, Jennifer Nedelsky, Paolo Benanti, Massimo Mercati, and Stefano Zamagni; thematic workshops; spiritual and creative moments; and an extensive exhibition of projects and experiences born within the EoF movement: the EoF Fair . Particular emphasis will be given to two dedicated sessions: Prophetic Voices for a New Economy , in which young people from different backgrounds will recount experiences of change already underway; and Extraordinary Ideas for the Economy of Francesco , a series of short presentations that will give voice to entrepreneurial ideas, social initiatives and innovative research selected through an international call for proposals.

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the National Pilgrimage from Latvia, to whom he delivered the following address:

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you!

 

Madam Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, Dear friends, Welcome! Welcome to the Vatican!

I am happy to greet all of you on the occasion of your pilgrimage during this Jubilee Year, especially since it occurs on the one hundredth anniversary of the very first official Latvian pilgrimage to Rome.

It is very good to see that you are keeping this tradition of pilgrimage alive and following in the footsteps of your forebears in the faith.  I wish to express my gratitude for your presence here this morning, for Rome has always been a home for all Christians, since it is here that the great Apostles Peter and Paul gave the supreme witness to the Gospel by becoming martyrs for the faith. It is my prayer that you may draw inspiration from them and from the other sites of the saints in Rome. All of them demonstrated that hope does not disappoint despite the uncertainty of their circumstances and the challenges they faced (cf.  Spes Non Confundit , 1).

As you know, Pope Francis visited Latvia in 2018, on the centenary of your nation’s independence and spoke of the difficulties your country experienced in the past. While the current conflict in your region may evoke memories of those turbulent times, it is important for all of us to turn to God and to be strengthened by God’s grace when faced with such tribulation.

Hope, which is the central theme of this year’s Jubilee, does not mean having all the answers but rather it calls us to put our trust in God and to follow Christ more closely.  In his speech at the Presidential Palace, Pope Francis spoke about the vital role the Christian faith played in your country’s history and even quoted Zenta Maurina, who wrote that your roots “are in heaven”. For this reason, I am grateful that the ties between Latvia and the Holy See have grown closer over the last few years.  Indeed, I am especially glad that your Prime Minister is present here today, whom I warmly great.

While we are encouraged by hope, at the same time, we need to unite it with the virtue of faith in order to keep our eyes on the present and see the many ways that God is blessing us here and now.  In this regard, a pilgrimage has an important role in our life of faith for it gives us the time and space to encounter God more deeply.  It takes us away from the routine and noise of everyday life and offers the space and silence to hear God’s voice more clearly. I therefore encourage you to use this opportunity for prayer and open yourselves to God’s grace, so that it may strengthen your faith and bestow upon you the peace that the world cannot give (cf.  Jn  14:27).

Finally, as all of you return to your beloved homeland, please remember that a pilgrimage does not end but its seeds should take root in your daily discipleship and bear fruit in your lives (cf.  Jn  15:16). In this way, the Church in Latvia will surely continue to be a source of joy and hope to all Latvians.

So my dear friends, with these few words, and entrusting you to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, I gladly impart to each of you and to all your loved ones, especially the sick, the elderly, the children, my heartfelt blessing, placing your lives in the hands of God. Thank you very much.

This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the participants in the General Chapter of the Order of the Servants of Mary.

The following is the Pope’s address to those present:

 

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Good morning to you all, welcome!

Dear brothers, welcome!

I am pleased to meet you on the occasion of your 215th General Chapter. It constitutes a return to the sources and at the same time a look towards the future. The two things cannot be separated: the more one returns to one’s origins, the more one becomes capable of creativity and prophecy.

The first source to return to is always the Gospel. Indeed, “for the various founders and foundresses, the Gospel was the absolute rule, whereas every other rule was meant merely to be an expression of the Gospel and a means of living the Gospel to the full” (Francis, Apostolic Letter to all consecrated people on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life , 21 November 2014, I, 2). This was written by Pope Francis, who added: “For them, the ideal was Christ; they sought to be interiorly united to him and thus to be able to say with Saint Paul: ‘For to me to live is Christ’ ( Phil 1:21). Their vows were intended as a concrete expression of this passionate love” ( ibid .). First and foremost, then, return to the Gospel.

The second return is to the Rule – for you, that of Saint Augustine – to the Constitutions, and to the heritage of spirituality that comes to you from your history. These sources offer you, in a certain sense, the “exegetical key” with which, with the help of the Spirit, you can read and interpret what the Word of God says to you.

Finally, the third return is to listening to the cry of the poor. It is a return to today as kairos , as the moment of grace in which everything the Lord has given you finds its meaning. This is expressed very well by the theme you have chosen for your meetings: “Being Servants in a polarized world, to build what unites us, valuing differences”.

In order for you to live this threefold return in the best way, not only in these days but always, I would like to recommend three means, typical of your tradition: fraternity , service and Marian spirituality .

With regard to the first, fraternity , it is striking that the Order of the Servants of Mary - almost unique in the history of religious foundations – was not founded around a single founder, a charismatic leader, but around a group of seven friends: a true evangelical group. The founder is not one man, but several people linked by a strong friendship in Christ. In a world such as ours, this is a sign of a particular task and vocation: to live and bring fraternity, especially where men are divided due to conflicts, wealth, cultural diversity, race or religion. In all these contexts, you are called upon to be bearers of friendship and peace, just like the “Seven” who, in their cities, albeit divided by fratricidal hatred, became bearers of reconciliation and charity.

This leads us to the second means: service . It is significant for you that the first members of the Order chose to be and to be called “Servants”, and that the foundation itself took its first steps in the context of a hospice for the poor: the Fonte Viva Hospital of Bigallo . There, your founders placed themselves at the service of the sick, pilgrims, poor women; in short, the least of their time, giving them all the goods they possessed, so as to follow, naked, the naked Lord. And it is the experience of serving God in the wounds of hte suffering that soon led them to the encounter with Him in the contemplation of Monte Senario, “ cor unum et anima una in Deum ” ( Rule 3). Life following the Gospel is like this: it is passion for God and for man, which leads to loving heaven and earth with the same intensity.

Only in this union are the right choices born and matured which, today as then, allow us to be present where our brothers and sisters are most wounded, where the Lord wants us to be. In this sense, I wish to encourage you in your service to the poor – immigrants, prisoners, the sick – as well as in your commitment to promoting an integral ecology for the protection of creation and of people in the places where you work.

We come to the third means: Marian spirituality . The most ancient history of the Order gave the Seven Founders the name of “ praecipui amatores dominae nostrae ”, that is, great, special devotees of Our Lady, of Mary. You continue to promote her devotion in the Church, based on the Word of God and with solid theological and ecclesiological references. In this regard, the work you do through the Marianum Theological Faculty is commendable, as is the pastoral care of the many Marian shrines entrusted to you.

Dear friends, may Mary, present at the Cross, strong, faithful, show you how to stand beside the countless crosses where Christ still suffers in his brethren, to bring them comfort, communion, help and the valuable bread of affection (cf. Constitution of the Order of the Servants of Mary , Epilogue).

Thank you for the good you do. I bless you, I commend you to the Lord and I invoke the intercession of the Mother of God upon you. Thank you.

This morning, 24 November 24 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received in Audience, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Her Excellency Evika Siliņa, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

During the cordial talks at the Secretariat of State, both parties expressed satisfaction over the good relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Latvia, as well as the positive contribution that the Christian faith and the Catholic Church offer to the country.

The conversation also touched upon several regional and international issues, especially efforts to achieve peace and end the war in Ukraine.

From the Vatican, 24 November 2025

Appointment of undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Msgr. Jozef Barlaš, until now official of the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, as undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Barlaš was born on 7 May 1985 in Snina, Slovakia. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Košice on 19 June 2010. He was awarded a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in 2022. Since 1 October 2020 he has served as an official in the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State. He was appointed chaplain of His Holiness in 2025. Besides Slovak, he knows Italian, English and Spanish.