At a meeting with Catholic politicians in the Vatican on Saturday, he called for a world in which power is restrained by conscience and the law is at the service of human dignity.
It is "dangerous and self-destructive" to believe that nothing can change, the Pope told parliamentarians from various countries.
Leo XIV criticised the fact that a fulfilled life is often confused with material wealth or unrestricted individual autonomy.
"The so-called ideal future that is presented to us is often a future of technological convenience and the fulfilment of consumer needs," said the Pope.
In contrast, many people in affluent societies struggle with loneliness, despair and meaninglessness.
Rooted in natural law
The Pope linked human flourishing to complete physical, social, cultural, moral and spiritual development.
"This vision of man is rooted in natural law, the moral order that God has written in the heart of man and whose deeper truths are illuminated by the Gospel of Christ".
This also includes the freedom to seek truth, to worship God and to found families, as well as harmony with creation and solidarity across social classes and nations, the Pope continued.
The meeting was attended by members of the International Catholic Legislators Network, a global association of Catholic parliamentarians.