The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-09-18
Pope Pleads
For High
Principles

CASTELGRANDOLFO, Italy -
radio, NC)-The role OF com
merce in the world today is one
that calls for high moral princi-
Piles as we'll as for sound technical
and economic training.
This was the message of His Hol-
mess Pope Plus XII 10 delegates at
tending the 9th convention of the
international Society for CONNER
cial Education, which opened in
Rome. The delegates were received
in audience by the Holy Father at
his summer residence here.
"Your profession" Pope Plus told
them, requires today economic
and technical knowledge as well as
organizing ability, zeal, energy and
enterprlsing courage. But more
important still. as basic require
ment, is high conception, ruled
by moral principles. Of the profes-
sion of the merchant and his func-
tions in the economic world"
To-day less than ever" the Pope
added, "can commercial education
be one-sided technical appren-
ticeship. 1t must have an eye open
to the complex OF human values.
Ii must be of such scope as TO
bear the characteristics of moral
principles put into action"
AT the outset of his talk, the
Pope spoke of the relations be-
tween the merchant and the Church
as being surely as old as the
Church herself"
The roads along which the first
messengers of the Gospels, the
Apostles. moved toward the con
quest of the world, and that along
which st. Paul trod on the jour
neys mentioned in the Acts of the
Apostles" he said, were not only
the roads of the Roman Legions
and the Roman functionaries, but
also those of the merchant and
world trade"
In the 18th century, the Holy
Father added. ST. Francis Xavier
"adyentured in the company OF
merchants along the sea routes OF
eastern Asia to the coast of Japan
and the ports of China"
Thus il is also in our own days
on the Black Continent OF Africa
the Pope commented, declaring
that pioneers of world trade snc
those of the Catholic Faith have
always met along the same road"
The reasons may be diverse,
the Pontiff said. but the spirit OF
universally and the conviction OF
the equality and unity of men are
common TO the Church and the
merchant" He then went on to de.
clare that what the Church expects
from the merchant is an assm
ance of upright commercial activ
ity' which. while aiming the most
efficient traffic in goods and sery
ices is conducted in such manner
that 'the gains of the merchant
correspond to a real service"
This is the preoccupation OF the
Church and her moralists," the
Pope declared, stressing that this
attitude rules out any Innate ad
version toward trade"
is not this preoccupation some
what opportune in our times?" the
Holy Father asked. Does not the
profession of the merchant and the
esteem this profession enjoys dc
pend on real service to a rea
customer. which means, TO a Gus
toner who possesses the power t.
purchase and utilizes what he pur
chases for his needs?
Temptations against this princi
pie of professional morals arr
strong today" the Pope warned
He said purchasing power has beer
falsified. needs artificially stimu
lated, and markets over-expanded
On top of this, he added, disorder
has arisen in the relations be
tween state politics and commerce
I All this has contributed towart
undermining the solid founda
tions of commerce" the Holy Fa
ther said in a conclusion. addin;
that whenever business morals ar,
ignored, the merchant himsel
suffers the loss Of the peoples es
TEEN and thus is mot the last t,
suffer-"
-O--