Pope, celebrating Mass with workers, prays for jobless, exploited

Published: 2006-03-20

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Offering special prayers for the unemployed and for those exploited in their work, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass March 19 with members of Italian labor unions and Catholic organizations for workers. Anticipating the liturgical feast of St. Joseph, transferred to March 20 this year because it fell on a Sunday in Lent, the pope said work enables people to realize their potential and contribute to the good of society as long as their work is "undertaken in full respect for human dignity and the common good." The pope asked St. Joseph, patron of workers, to take special care of "young people who have difficulty entering the world of work, the unemployed and those who suffer from difficulties related to the widespread employment crisis." In his homily, the pope said that in the world of work, "an important aspect of human existence," the rapid changes brought by technology and the globalization of the economy are experienced each day. The pope said it is important that people not let their jobs take over their lives and become idols.

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