A man who was great because he lived out humbly the two greatest commandments
By Brian Grim, President
The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation offers prayers and condolences on the passing of Pope Francis today. His papacy, which began the year before RFBF’s founding, shaped the narrative on the purpose and responsibilities of business and business leaders for a new generation.
While his most famous encyclical, LAUDATO SI’ / Care for Our Common Home, addressed the responsibility of all sectors of society to care for one another and our planet, other business-oriented documents, such as the re-launch of the Vatican’s Vocation of the Business Leader occurred during his pontificate. This document as well as his encouragement to the Economy of Communion movement, embodies an approach to business that puts human dignity and integral human development at the heart of every economic endeavor. His prayer intention for this month was that Technology Should Benefit Everyone.
In my own encounters with Pope Francis, I was always inspired by his humility. I was in the Vatican the day that his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI resigned. A few months later I stayed in the same guest house where Pope Francis had returned to pay his own bill after being elected pope. I stayed there during first TEDx event held at the Vatican, where, while I was still at the Pew Research Center, I gave a TEDx talk on the rising tide of government and social restrictions impeding the free practice of every religion or belief in every country worldwide.
This rising tide of restrictions on religion and belief in all forms across the world led me to leave Pew in 2014 and start the RFBF with the mission to invite businesses to be part of the solution.
We have lost today a great champion not only for religious freedom and ethical business, but a man who was great because he lived out humbly the two greatest commandments that Jesus said sum up everything: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40