Pope Francis Delivers His First TED Talk
Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at the 2017 Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) Conference in Vancouver on Tuesday, April 25. Organizers had promised that a surprise world figure would address the event, but not many expected that it would be the Bishop of Rome who would show up.
The annual TED Conference focuses heavily on science and technology. In line with this year's theme of "The Future You," Pope Francis delivered an encouragement about the future and a plea for the tech-savvy audience made up of scientists, academicians and innovators to look at the plight of the poor.
"How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion," he said in his first TED Talk. "How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
He described as the "culture of waste" where some people are cast aside by our "techno-economic systems," which are now, without even realizing it, putting products ahead of people. He urged the attendees to help each other and "remember that the other is not a statistic or a number."
Speaking in Italian and directly from the Vatican, the 80-year-old pontiff also reminded world leaders to stay humble.
"The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don't, your power will ruin you," he went on.
Pope Francis concluded his 18-minute talk by saying the future of humankind isn't in the hands of politicians, great leaders and big companies exclusively. While they may hold an enormous responsibility, "the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a 'you' and themselves as part of an 'us.'"
