We pray for small and medium-sized businesses; in the midst of economic and social crisis, may they find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.
“As a consequence of the pandemic and the wars, the world is facing a grave socio-economic crisis,” says the Pope, who points out that small and medium-sized businesses are among those most affected. According to statistics for 2021 from the World Bank, one in four companies lost half of their volume of sales because of the global pandemic. In addition, public assistance is weakest precisely where it is most needed: in poor countries and for small businesses.
TEXT OF THE POPE’s MESSAGE
As a consequence of the pandemic and the wars, the world is facing a grave socio-economic crisis. We still don’t realize it!
And among those most affected are small and medium-sized businesses.
Stores, workshops, cleaning businesses, transportation businesses, and so many others.
The ones that don’t appear on the world’s richest and most powerful lists, and despite the difficulties, they create jobs, fulfilling their social responsibility.
The ones that invest in the common good instead of hiding their money in tax havens.
They all dedicate an immense creative capacity to changing things from the bottom up, from where the best creativity always comes from.
With courage, with effort, with sacrifice, they invest in life, creating wellbeing, opportunities, and work.
Let us pray for small and medium-sized businesses, hard hit by the economic and social crisis, so they may find ways to continue operating, and serving their communities.
Pope Francis – August 2022