The res novae of our time set in motion a true movement of "reflection and action," which must "be guided with foresight: by institutions capable of regulating without stifling, and protecting without taking over; by businesses that recognize work and dignity as measures of success; by intermediary organizations and educational communities that rebuild trust and relationships; and by citizens who cultivate responsibility, moderation, discernment and a sense of truth."

"Do not be afraid" is an exhortation that my predecessors repeated at decisive moments in the life of the Church. I would also like to make it my own today, since "we should not be intimidated by tensions or differences because they can become creative forces when guided by shared responsibility."

The Church's Social Doctrine offers invaluable assistance in this regard. Many of the organizations present here are familiar with it, are studying it and are helping to spread it. It "is not a handbook of principles and norms to be applied, but a process of shared discernment." Its principles do not replace the decisions that you must take; rather they offer criteria for judging whether these decisions truly respect human dignity and serve the common good.

For this reason, the value of any points of consensus that can be reached will not be measured solely by the number of people who endorse them. They will be recognized by the interests that they are able to protect and, in particular, by the impact that they have on the lives of those who have the least power to defend themselves.

The principles of social justice provide a decisive criterion here. A social, economic and political order can truly be called humane when it allows everyone — "particularly the weakest — to live a truly dignified life, without leaving anyone behind."

At the end of Magnifica Humanitas I reflected on the figure of the prophet Nehemiah. Faced with a Jerusalem in ruins, he listened to the suffering of his people, brought it before God, discerned what needed to be done, sought the necessary resources and organized a project that could only be carried out with the participation of many people.

I would like to propose to you that same image for the work that you are doing. Likewise, in our time, great edifices have come crashing down wherever progress ceases to serve the person, where work loses its dignity, where entire communities are cast aside or where technology ends up deepening the divisions that it should be helping us to overcome.

Like Nehemiah, you are to "enter the construction sites of history — research laboratories, technology companies, schools, the media, institutions, local communities — in order to rebuild what has collapsed and to protect what is threatened." Moreover, I invite you to allow yourselves to be challenged by the signs of the times and embrace the contributions of the sciences, of cultures and of human experiences to discern possible paths forward.

Negotiation is part of that work and is part of a "better kind of politics" capable of seeking the common good above particular interests. Therefore, I encourage you to cultivate a healthy "culture of negotiation" which is capable of opening paths where differences seem to close off every possibility of encounter. In this way, you will also be able to contribute to the diplomacy of peace that our world needs.

Nehemiah did not rebuild Jerusalem alone. He called upon his people, and each person worked on the section they were responsible for building. It is now up to you to recognize what part of this shared work has been entrusted to you. May the progress of our time not leave new ruins in its wake, and may whatever we build truly be a home and a refuge for all, beginning with those most in need.

Thank you very much.