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Pope Francis urges humility and solidarity in surprise speech

The pontiff delivered his address, via videotape, to the annual TED conference in Vancouver, Canada.
/ Source: TODAY

Pope Francis made a surprise at an annual international conference of world leaders, urging politicians and business executives to act humbly because “power will ruin you” otherwise.

The pontiff made his address Tuesday from his Vatican City office through a video broadcast at this year's TED conference in Vancouver, Canada.

(Click on the closed caption icon to read the subtitles)

Speaking in Italian but in a speech aired with English subtitles, Pope Francis described traveling the world and meeting with society’s “discarded people,” including prisoners, the sick and the poor.

“I often find myself wondering, ‘Why them and not me?’” he told the group, describing how his family of Italian migrants settled in Argentina, “I could have very well ended up among today’s ‘discarded’ people.”

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TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a media organization that posts talks from its annual conference online. The pope noted the distinguished audience members in his 18-minute TED Talk.

"I would love it if this meeting could help to remind us that we all need each other," Francis said. "We can only build the future by standing together, including everyone."

He then stressed his desire for world leaders to use their influence and power to look out for the less fortunate.

“How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion,” he said. “How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us.”

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The pope ended his address encouraging the world to engage in a "revolution of tenderness," calling the characteristic a sign of fortitude.

"The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other," he said, stressing "you will end up hurting yourself and those around you, if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness."

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