The Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, participated in the presentation of the third edition of the “Economy of Fraternity Award” (Economia della Fratellanza) promoted by the Diocese of Assisi.
Also participating in the event, which took place in the Vatican Film Library on December 5, were Mons. Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of the Diocese of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino and of Foligno; Fr. Giulio Albanese, director of the communication office of the Diocese of Rome and member of the award evaluation commission and Sister Roberta Arcaro, of the Franciscan Angeline Sisters, among others.
In her intervention, Sister Alessandra Smerilli highlighted that the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) is happy about this initiative on Saint Francis of Assisi and Blessed Carlo Acutis for an economy of fraternity and recalled that for years the Diocese of Assisi has promoted “The Economy of Francesco” together with many young people from around the world to promote a new economy that “today can and should be an economy friendly to the earth, an economy of peace, as Pope Francis said.
Along these lines, Sister Alessandra Smerilli recalled the words of the Holy Father who explained that "being economists and businessmen 'of Francis' necessarily means being women and men of peace: not giving oneself peace for the sake of peace."
Furthermore, the secretary of this Vatican Dicastery indicated that surely on the important anniversary of the 800 years of Franciscan rule "there are messages that remain current and that can inspire an economy of fraternity" and cited the invitation of Pope Francis that encouraged "go around the world in 'fraternity' and in 'minority' sharing the blessedness of poverty, becoming an eloquent evangelical sign and showing our time, unfortunately, marked by wars and conflicts, by the selfishness of all kinds and logics of exploitation of the environment and the poor, that the Gospel is truly the good news for humanity so that it can find the best orientation to build a new humanity.”
“A prize does not change the world, but it can help support examples to imitate and good practices that, like, small seeds, can make flowering fields sprout,” concluded Sister Alessandra Smerilli.
For more information about the Fraternity Economy Award, click HERE