A few days ago, Pope Leo addressed the growing gap between rich and poor and called on us to become “experts in new ways,” so that no one is excluded from the table of fraternity.

These words touch the core of our economic coexistence. The divide between rich and poor does not arise by chance. It follows a simple logic: in every paid job, a surplus is created that does not go to the workers, but to the entrepreneurs. In this way, inequality grows automatically—even when all participants act in good faith.

The question, therefore, is: Is it enough to demand fairer distribution—or must we rethink the foundations of our economic system?

Today’s categories of wages, prices, and profits are forms of mediation; they are historically developed. They have enabled human progress, but economic growth is now in the process of destroying our natural foundations.

The message of Easter reminds us that what seems unchangeable can be overcome. Perhaps this also applies to our economic system.

Today, for the first time in history, we are technically capable of directly linking needs and production. Global connectivity and artificial intelligence could allow people to order directly from producers what is necessary for a dignified life—without the influence of markets and competition that constantly push us to consume more.

We already use the internet for our supply, but it is still mediated by the market. The owners of platforms such as AliExpress, TEMU, or Amazon are among the richest people in the world.

The decisive step would be a shift in perspective: if entrepreneurs were to give up profit and work were no longer understood as a paid commodity, but as a voluntary contribution to the common good, then the economy could truly serve people—not the other way around.

If we reduce economic processes to their simplest components, only two factors remain: the free gifts of creation (natural resources) and human activity, which is currently tied to the market.

Without this market, the gifts of creation could reach people directly and without detours. They would retain their gratuitous nature and be available unconditionally to everyone.

We must free ourselves from the idea and fear that change is only possible through revolution or collectivization. No—we simply need to bring producers and workers, that is, consumers, to one table as siblings, no longer as opponents. No profit, no wages—and all people would be unconditionally provided with everything necessary for a dignified life.

Such an order would not only overcome social division but also end the pressure for constant growth. Production could be oriented toward real human needs—sustainable, durable, and in harmony with creation.

What sounds radical touches a deeply Christian idea: everything is a gift. And what is a gift cannot be turned into a commodity. The Church has always reminded us that fraternity is not only an ideal for heaven, but a mission for this world.

Perhaps the time has come to take this idea seriously in economic terms—so that truly everyone can find a place at the table of fraternity.