“The economy and business, when oriented toward the common good, can and must be engines of the future, of inclusion and justice,” Pope Leo XIV writes. The message was addressed to participants at the 31st Argentine Industrial Conference, held in Buenos Aires on November 13, 2025. The Pope is following in the footsteps of Leo XIII, who in 1891 laid the foundations for the social doctrine of the Church with his encyclical Rerum Novarum.
Addressing a group of Argentine entrepreneurs, the Pope cited Servant of God Enrique Shaw as an example of applying Catholic Social Doctrine to real life.
The Pope, who chose the name Leo in reference to his predecessor, recalls that in this encyclical, Leo XIII “denounced the unjust conditions of many workers” and “also emphasized the right to a fair wage, to form associations, and to live with dignity.”
“These teachings, born in a time of profound industrial change, remain surprisingly relevant in the globalized world we live in, where the dignity of workers continues to be violated,” Leo XIV insists in this message addressed to entrepreneurs in a country marked by deep inequalities.
“The economy is not an end in itself, but an essential, albeit partial, aspect of the social fabric in which God's plan of love for every human being unfolds,” the Pope said. From this perspective, the success of a business should not only be measured in economic terms, “but also in terms of its capacity to generate human development, social cohesion, and care for creation,” insists Leo XIV.
Enrique Shaw, a Francophile Argentine entrepreneur
In this message, Leo XIV highlights at length the example of Enrique Shaw (1921-1962). This Argentine businessman, born in Paris, is currently in the process of beatification. He converted in 1939 after reading a book by Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard, a supporter of the “worker-priest” movement.
Shaw was greatly inspired by the social Catholicism that permeated certain Catholic entrepreneurs in France. As archbishop of Buenos Aires and then as pope, Francis actively supported his cause for beatification.
Leo XIV presents him as a “businessman who understood that industry was not just a productive cog or a means of accumulating capital, but a true community of people called to grow together.”
“In him, faith and business management came together harmoniously, demonstrating that Social Doctrine is not an abstract theory or an unattainable utopia, but a possible path that transforms the lives of people and institutions by placing Christ at the center of all human activity,” explains Leo XIV.
The Pope recalls that this entrepreneur, imprisoned by Juan Peron's regime, “also experienced the misunderstanding and persecution foretold by Christ for those who work for justice.”
Enrique Shaw was then struck by cancer, being diagnosed at only 36 years of age, which led to a long hospitalization.
You can be both an entrepreneur and a saint
For Pope Leo XIV, the life of this Argentine industrialist “shows that one can be both an entrepreneur and a saint.” The Pope therefore called for “an innovative, competitive and, above all, humane industry, capable of supporting the development of our peoples without leaving anyone behind.”
Argentina, which Pope Francis never visited in his 12 years as pontiff, could be one of Leo XIV's destinations if he tours Latin America. The schedule for this tour would depend on political stabilization in Peru as the Pope is a Peruvian citizen. But President Dina Boluarte was overthrown on October 10.
