Pope Francis Asks The Rich And Powerful For A 'Revolution Of Tenderness' In Surprise TED Talk

April 27, 2017

At the annual TED conference that took place in Vancouver on Tuesday evening, one unannounced speaker took the audience by surprise: Pope Francis.

The audience included the founders of some of the world's biggest tech companies, as well as politicians, artists, entertainers, venture capitalists and leaders of major cultural institutions and foundations.

They gave him a standing ovation after the talk, which stressed the importance of humility among the powerful.

"Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude," Francis says. "It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. Please, allow me to say it loud and clear: 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."

Watch the full video below (turn on "closed caption" for English subtitles):