Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC): Cycle of conferences on the meaning of work for the UC community began

In times of intense work and great dedication to work, the Directorate of Pastoral and Christian Culture UC has organized a course in which experts will discuss work and its deep and spiritual meaning in these times.

The presentations are given by professionals from various work areas: Francisco Jiménez, president of the Social Union of Christian Entrepreneurs (USEC); Diego Miranda Toledo, Academician at the San Alberto Hurtado University who works on the topic of the Social Thought of the Church; and Fernanda Vicuña (Director of People UC).

“ The exhibitors we are looking for are people with training and/or professional work on the subject and who can contribute from a perspective that contemplates the Catholic identity . The latter is what differentiates us from other training proposals aimed at similar audiences”, explains Danitza Urrea, deputy director of Administrative and Professional Affairs of the Directorate of Pastoral Care and Christian Culture.

The first theme was presented by Francisco Jiménez, president of the Social Union of Christian Entrepreneurs (USEC), under the title “Deep and spiritual meaning of work in these times. Is it possible to meet Christ at work?” .

“In his experience of faith one must understand that God has a plan that is not finished, he in his plan created man with dignity to be his co-creator. We are not fulfilling a role by chance, but because God assigned it to us” – Francisco Jiménez, president of the Social Union of Christian Entrepreneurs (USEC)


In the first place, he referred to some concepts that are mentioned in the document “ The vocation of the business leader ”, a text based on conversations inspired by the encyclical letter Caritas in Veritate of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He stressed that this document says that respect for human dignity and the common good are the basic principles that should guide the way of organizing work.

Francisco Jiménez pointed out that the main purpose of any company and, in the case of UC, of ​​educational institutions, is to respond to real human needs . And he highlighted three actions companies must take: deliver good goods, do good work, and produce good wealth.

Good goods mean that genuine human needs are met through the creation, development and production of goods and services. Good work means that work must be organized in such a way that it is good and productive; and good wealth is the most obvious, using resources to create and share wealth and prosperity in a sustainable way.

“In the case of the university, education is the great way to cut the circle of poverty and achieve growth to move towards development, so these good assets are being delivered,” he stressed. “A company like the university has to worry about having a good product, a good service, good workers and a well-distributed profit.”

“By having that clear there, it is understood why work is synonymous with dignity, what can be more dignified than contributing as a co-creator in God’s plan!” – Francisco Jiménez, president of the Social Union of Christian Entrepreneurs (USEC)

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Later, he said that believers tend to separate spiritual life from work life, which is not very appropriate because a human being cannot separate the different areas of his life so sharply. “A Christian should be recognized everywhere, as Saint Alberto Hurtado said. Each person in his work must continue to be a person full of values, as well as in his personal life. You should not make decisions in your work that are isolated from your ethical values . That is a very important first reflection. These values ​​must be transferred to the world of work, it cannot be that one has a life in one place and another life in another”, explained Jiménez.

At the end of his presentation, Francisco Jiménez referred to work as a space to be a co-creator with God. “In his experience of faith one must understand that God has a plan that is not finished, he in his plan created man with dignity to be his co-creator. We are not fulfilling a role by chance, but because God assigned it to us .”

He explained that God creates us with a creative capacity: “He could have created us as a robot, without creating anything else. He gave us that because God’s plan is not finished, it is under construction and the worker is his partner, his co-creator in his plan. Having that clear there, it is understood why work is synonymous with dignity, what can be more dignified than contributing as a co-creator in God’s plan! The responsibility that falls on us is gigantic, because what we have to do is very important”.

After this presentation that has emphasized the meaning of work, two other classes will be held in which they will talk about how to find happiness at work and the challenges they face today.