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.