How can one of the world’s largest religions harness its collective power and its enormous capital to end some of the world’s ills?
That’s the central question that was tackled by impact investors and Catholic leaders from around the world as they convened in Rome to explore how the Catholic Church and other faith-based institutions can harness the power of impact capital to attain and sustain their social mission.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development brought together institutions, often at the early stages of their social enterprise journey, to interact with and learn from successful social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from the sector. By developing strategies and forming partnerships, they began laying the foundation for catalyzing private investment to serve the poor and vulnerable.
Encouragingly, this is the third time the Vatican has convened investors, fund managers, and commercial bankers with various heads of Catholic charities and aid-related missions to explore the Church’s involvement in impact investment. The Impact Investment Conference was preceded by the Laudato Si’ Conference.
Nearly three years after the publication of the Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on the care for our common home, the Dicastery promoted this international conference to reaffirm a sense of deep urgency and profound concern for the precarious state of our common planetary home.
Shine teamed up with our partners at the Global Catholic Climate Movement to share our thoughts on Our Common Home and ending energy poverty. Both of our organizations took part in the events at the Vatican, and we hope you take the time to read our thoughts and share your own.