Pope Francis has appealed to the economic leaders of the world not to forget the poor. The Pope's cry for justice and integral development came in a message to the participants of the annual World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, Switzerland.

Present among the over 2,500 participants for the 3-day event are over 1,000 chief executives or company chairs and more than 40 world leaders. The refugee crisis, climate change and rising interest rates are foreseen to be among the main themes.

Your primary challenge – the Pope said to the movers and shakers of global economy today – is to, "seek to help those poorer than yourselves to attain dignified living conditions, particularly through the development of their human, cultural, economic and social potential."

Emphasising the fact that "we must never allow the culture of prosperity to deaden us, make us incapable of "feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor," he pointed out that "weeping for other people's pain does not only mean sharing in their sufferings, but also and above all realising that our own actions are a cause of injustice and inequality."

In no uncertain terms Pope Francis tells business leaders to "open their eyes, see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and recognise that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!"

And quoting from the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee Year of Mercy he said, "May their cry become our own and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that too often reign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism!"

In his message dotted with quotations from encylicals and other church teachings, Pope Francis also mentions the profound and epochal changes we are challenged to face today and he urged leaders to make sure the coming "fourth industrial revolution" which – he said – is "the result of robotics and scientific and technological innovations, does not lead to the destruction of the human person – to be replaced by a soulless machine – or to the transformation of our planet into an empty garden for the enjoyment of a chosen few."

"On the contrary," he said, "the present moment offers a precious opportunity to guide and govern the processes now under way, and to build inclusive societies based on respect for human dignity, tolerance, compassion and mercy."

The Pope concluded with the appeal to pursue a sustainable and integral development that safeguards the planet and to use the tools of business to help overcome the complex crisis of society and the environment, and to fight poverty. – Vatican Radio.

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