Archbishop Gabriele Caccia urged attendees at the opening ceremony of the G20 Interfaith Forum to advocate for economic and technological progress that promotes human flourishing and delivered a message on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
“Technology offers extraordinary possibilities, but innovation alone does not tell us what is good,” Caccia said at the Oct. 15 event, according to the Fides News Agency, emphasizing the question of “Whether the progress we seek will truly serve the human person.”
“We still need the kind of judgment that asks whom progress is serving and whether it is serving them well,” he said.
Caccia further emphasized the need for every generation to shape the times in accordance with human dignity for themselves and the well-being of future generations.
The apostolic nuncio then read from a message sent by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Leo, who expressed hope that the event would be “a shining example of the solidarity of the human family.”
Leo also called for deepening of ties between nations in support of “the universal principles of human dignity, religious freedom, and common good.” The pope further called for “gentleness and respect” in discussions among attendees and conveyed his prayers and “an abundance of the Most High’s blessings” for the forum’s success.
The forum’s opening day featured a public discussion on overcoming political divisions with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox; David Beasley, former governor of South Carolina and former executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme; and Martin Luther King III, human rights advocate and son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; as well as the presentation of a Jewish-Muslim declaration promoting stronger interfaith cooperation.
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