Archbishop of Denver Charles Chaput Tuesday spoke to 100 business, banking and legal leaders in Toronto, urging them to “light the marketplace” with generosity, justice and honesty.

Zenit has the full text of the speech, which he kicked off with a joke:

I usually like to start my breakfast comments with some humor, but when you’re speaking to business leaders the day before Lent in the middle of an economic meltdown, that might not be such a good idea. So let’s start with a quote instead:

“History is a record of the encounter between character and circumstance.”

I’ve always kept those words close, even though I’ve forgotten the author, because they remind us that people make history; not the other way around. We often can’t control our circumstances. But we can usually control our own actions, and our actions have real consequences for ourselves and others — now and into the future.

The archbishop discussed free market principles, interest, and the dignity of all - rich and poor:

Protestant individualism led to economic initiative. Catholic distrust of the new economy tended toward heavy economic controls and conservatism. If we compare the traditional economic assumptions of countries like the United States with those that were dominant in Latin America until very recently, the differences are pretty clear. And I think Marx rightly saw that the pursuit of capital without a moral compass tends to erode traditions and traditional relationships, beginning with the family.

As a result, people often misread Scripture to claim that money is the root of all evil. But that’s not what Scripture says. The Bible says that “the love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10) . . .

Today we know that a free market can be a powerful force for good in the world. Despite the economic challenges we all face right now, it’s still true that more people in more places live better and longer than at any time in history. That’s an astonishing modern achievement.

The place of religion in the business world?

Where does God belong in the marketplace? He belongs in the hearts and the actions of the people who make the market succeed. And that means you. “History is a record of the encounter between character and circumstance.” Each of us becomes “powerful” by becoming free, and we become free by mastering ourselves and living for others.