Catholic business leaders meeting in Indonesia urged entrepreneurs to bring Gospel values into Asia’s rapidly expanding economy, warning that growth without ethics risks deepening social harm.
The call came during a two-day gathering at the Jakarta headquarters of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI), where regional leaders reflected on how faith should shape business decisions amid rising inequality, exploitation, and emerging forms of economic abuse in Asia.
Participants pointed to the region’s fast-paced development, which has lifted economies but also exposed vulnerable communities to risks such as human trafficking, cyberfraud, and widening social gaps.
The meeting brought together representatives of the International Christian Union of Business Executives (UNIAPAC), the Indonesian National Association of Catholic Professionals and Entrepreneurs (PUKAT Nasional), and the Indonesian Praying and Business Community (PERDUKI).
UNIAPAC represents thousands of business leaders worldwide who seek to integrate faith into professional life and promote an economy grounded in human dignity and the common good.
During the discussions, Mission Étrangère de Paris (MEP) priest Father Will Conquer shared his experience working in southern Cambodia, where rapid economic expansion has coincided with serious social problems.
The French missionary said areas of growth have also become centres for cyberfraud operations and human trafficking.
“If you hear about online scams and cybercrime operations, we are working right in those areas,” he said.
His account underscored the human cost of unchecked development and the need for ethical responsibility in business.
UNIAPAC President Mrs. Sigrid Martz said Christian entrepreneurs have a responsibility to help shape an economy that serves the human person.
“Our world is facing many crises,” she said, adding that “Christian social teaching offers important guidance for responding to the challenges of our time.”
UNIAPAC Secretary-General Mr. Rodrigo Whitelaw said integrity remains essential in preserving the moral direction of the global economy.
“When the market risks losing its soul,” he said, “business leaders must restore it through ethical conduct and responsible leadership.”
Asia Acting President Mr. George Varakorn Techamontrikul pointed to the difficulty of maintaining integrity in competitive environments, where unethical practices are often normalized.
He said Catholic entrepreneurs are called to stand apart by practicing honesty despite such pressures.
Addressing the gathering, KWI President Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, warned against separating faith from economic life.
“The foundation of economic activity must be the Eucharist,” the bishop of Bandung said. “At the altar, we bring the struggles and ambitions of the marketplace to be purified and renewed.”
He urged business leaders to see their work as a vocation and a form of Christian witness in society.
Leaders of PUKAT Nasional and PERDUKI highlighted efforts to form professionals who can live out Church social teaching in business and public life.
PUKAT Nasional chairman Mr. Julius Junus Tedja said initiatives such as leadership formation and international cooperation aim to help members navigate the realities of modern economic life.
Last year, the group conducted a business ethics program involving members across Indonesia, an initiative participants endorsed as part of strengthening ethical practices.
Echoing the teaching of Pope Francis, participants reaffirmed the need for an economy that serves the common good. They said that as Asia continues to grow, development must be matched by justice, solidarity, and respect for human dignity.
They added that the marketplace itself can become a place of Christian witness, where faith is tested in concrete decisions that affect workers, communities, and the most vulnerable.
