Pope Francis urges connection not division in TED talk

VANCOUVER: Pope Francis on Tuesday urged harmony over division in a surprise papal TED talk, delivered via video to the big-ideas gathering in Vancouver.



Francis embraced the theme of this year's conference - 'The Future is You' - saying it was relations and connections between people that would shape society going forward.

Watch Pope Francis's TED Talk on why the only future worth building includes everyone: https://t.co/1PakQdaj2h #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/2iOmLYxwmx

— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) April 26, 2017

"The future is made of 'yous,' it is made of encounters, because life flows through our relations with others," Francis said. "Everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions."

He hoped the TED conference, a prestigious gathering devoted to 'ideas worth spreading, would remind people that they need each other. In human life, as in science, all things are connected, Francis reasoned.

Pope Francis speaks during the TED Conference, urging people to connect with and understand others, during a video presentation at the annual scientific, cultural and academic event in Vancouver, Canada, April 25, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

"The future of humankind isn't exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies," Francis said. "Yes, they do hold an enormous responsibility. But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognise the other as a 'you' and themselves as part of an 'us.'

He expressed hope that science and technology innovations would come with social equality and inclusion. It was the first time Francis has addressed an international conference, according to TED organisers. His talk was not listed on the programme and kept secret by organisers.



It took many discussions to make the talk happen, and repeated trips to Rome over more than a year, according to TED international curator Bruno Giussani.

"Pope Francis is clearly very concerned about the current state of the world," Giussani said. "There is a sense of urgency in his actions and his words."