Pope Francis arrives at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
GENOA, Italy (AP) - Pope Francis highlighted the struggles that workers face in a globalized economy with a visit Saturday to a troubled steel factory in Genoa, where he stressed how jobs give people a sense of human dignity and denounced those who exploit workers.
The visit put a focus on the plight of those whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis, including in Italy where a high jobless rate, especially among young adults, has driven many to leave the country.
Speaking to 3,500 industrial workers, many in uniforms or hard hats, Francis distinguished what he called the "real entrepreneur," a person who "shares the labors of workers and shares the joys of work" to create something together, from speculators who are not bothered when they fire workers in search of profits.
"One sickness of the economy is the gradual transformation of entrepreneurs into speculators," the pontiff said. "The speculator doesn't love his business, doesn't love the workers, but only sees the business and workers as the means to make profit."
He decried a political system that "sometimes seems to encourage" speculators, "not those who invest and believe in work."
Francis also denounced those who claim that workers do their jobs only for the money, saying that "denies the dignity of work."
It is by working that "our humanity flourishes," he argued.
He listened to workers express their fears, including about technological transformations that threaten to leave many more without work in the future. He told them people must not resign themselves to "an ideology taking root everywhere that images a world where only half or maybe two-thirds of the workers will work and the others will be maintained by a social check."
"Without work for everyone, there will not be dignity for everyone," Francis said.
Francis, an Argentine whose parents left Italy in the early 20th century, also referred to his personal feelings aroused by visiting the port city, the departure point in the past for Italians seeking new lives in North and South America.
"It's the first time I come to Genoa. And being so close to the port reminds me of where my father departed from," he said. "This gives me a great emotion."
The pontiff's day also include lunch with homeless people, refugees and prisoners and a Mass before a crowd estimated at 80,000 people.
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Gera reported from Rome.
Pope Francis delivers his message at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Guardia, in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis is on a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis is cheered by workers at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis arrives at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis caresses a child in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis is on a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Ilva factory steel workers wait for Pope Francis to arrive for his one-day pastoral visit to Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis arrives at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis arrives at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. His opened his visit at ILVA, a troubled steel-making company, where workers in hard hats awaited him. The visit puts a focus on the plight of workers whose lives have been made precarious by years of economic crisis. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis meets children in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis is on a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis kisses a crucifix as he arrives to meet with bishops, priests and nuns at the Cathedral of San Lorenzo during his one day visit to Genoa, northern Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis is greeted by faithful as he meets with bishops, priests and nuns at the Cathedral of San Lorenzo during his one day visit to Genoa, northern Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis is greeted by faithful as he meets with bishops, priests and nuns at the Cathedral of San Lorenzo during his one day visit to Genoa, northern Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Pope Francis speaks at the ILVA steel-making company in Genoa, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2017. Pope Francis has begun a one-day visit to the northern Italian port city of Genoa to meet with workers, poor and homeless people, refugees and prisoners (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press