The pontiff also addressed TED’s tech-obsessed attendees, including SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who is scheduled to speak at the conference later this week. “If the growth of scientific and technological innovation would coincide with more equality and social inclusion,” the Pope Said. “How wonderful would it be if, while we discover far away planets, we could also rediscover the needs of the brother, or the sister, orbiting around us.”

With the address live-streamed in several movie theaters across the US and Canada, Pope Francis also had a message for the brash-talking, headline-grabbing leaders of the world. “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 you are responsible to become humble,” said Pope Francis, who went on to call for a “revolution of tenderness.”

“Tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women,” he said. “Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude.”

TED’s international curator, Bruno Giussani, explains that it took several tries to convince the popular pontiff to speak at the conference. ”When I first approached the Vatican, it’s fair to say that not many there knew of TED,” Giussani said. “So there was a lot of explaining to do.”

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