Pope: Denying dignity of work is an 'injustice'

Friday, Jan. 21, 2022

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – St. Joseph’s work as a humble carpenter serves as an example of the dignity of hard work that today is often denied to those in need, Pope Francis said.

“Many young people, many fathers and mothers experience the ordeal of not having a job that allows them to live peacefully; they just live day by day. And how often the search for work becomes so desperate that it drives them to the point of losing all hope and the desire to live,” the pope said Jan. 12 during his weekly general audience.

The value of hard work, he added, is also exploited in today’s world where many people, including undocumented workers, are forced to do grueling tasks for unfair wages; and children, “who should be playing,” instead are “forced to work like an adult.”

“They are our brothers and sisters, those who earn their living this way, with jobs that do not recognize their dignity. Let us think about this; this is happening today in the world!” he said.

Pope Francis was continuing his series of audience talks about St. Joseph, reflecting on his work as a carpenter.

The work of a carpenter or woodworker at that time, the pope explained, involved not only crafting tools or furniture but also building houses. From an economic point of view, “it did not ensure great earnings.”

Pope Francis said the fact that St. Joseph, as well as Jesus, practiced carpentry reminded him “of all the workers in the world, especially those who do grueling work in mines and factories” as well as “those who are exploited through undocumented work” and the “victims of labor,” who are injured or die on the job because of unsafe working conditions.

He also called on Christians to remember those who are without work and who return home every day, unsuccessful in their efforts to “earn their bread.”