On the day that Ukrainian President Zelensky is expected in the Vatican, addressing the new ambassadors whom he received for their credentials, Francis spoke again of the “third world war in pieces” and of the pontifical diplomacy’s commitment to defense of the dignity of every person and the promotion of brotherhood among peoples. A thought “to the dear Syrian people”, tested by the earthquake and the long conflict.
Vatican City () – The Holy See strives to contribute to the resolution of conflicts through the exercise of “positive neutrality”, which does not mean “ethical neutrality”, “especially in the face of human suffering”. On the day of his long-awaited meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -who is expected this afternoon at the Vatican-, Pope Francis returned this morning to raise the urgency of the commitment to peace in the context of what he has once again called the “third world war to pieces”.
The occasion was the audience with the new ambassadors of Iceland, Bangladesh, Syria, Gambia and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the presentation of their credentials. “If we look closely at the current situation in the world – said the Pontiff upon receiving them in the Clementine Room – even a superficial glance could leave us troubled and discouraged. We think of many places like Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Lebanon and Jerusalem , facing clashes and unrest. Haiti continues to suffer from a severe social, economic and humanitarian crisis. Then, of course, there is the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has caused untold suffering and death. In addition, we see a growing flow of forced migration, the effects of climate change and the large number of our brothers and sisters around the world who continue to live in poverty due to lack of access to clean water, food, basic health care, education and decent work.There is undoubtedly a growing imbalance in the world economic system”.
“When will we learn from history,” he asked, “that the paths of violence, oppression and excessive ambition to conquer land do not serve the common good? When will we learn that investing in the well-being of people is always better than spend resources building lethal weapons? When will we learn that social, economic, and security issues are intertwined? When will we learn that we are one human family, which can only truly flourish when all its members are respected, cared for, and capable of contribute originality?
The Pope pointed out to the ambassadors the importance of the task they are called to carry out in this regard. “The apostle Paul also used this term to designate those who announced Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5,20)”, he recalled. “As a man or woman of dialogue – he added -, the ambassador can be a figure of hope. Hope in the ultimate goodness of humanity. Hope that common ground is possible because we are all part of the human family. Hope that never the last word is said to avoid a conflict or resolve it peacefully. Hope that peace is not a pipe dream”.
In the current context, Francis acknowledged, it is not an easy task: “The voice of reason and calls for peace often fall on deaf ears,” he commented. But precisely the diplomatic action of the Holy See, which “according to its own nature and its particular mission, undertakes to protect the inviolable dignity of every person, to promote the common good and to foster human brotherhood among all peoples”, aims to keep hope alive.
Finally, greeting the new ambassadors one by one, the Pope addressed a special thought “to the dear Syrian people, who are still recovering from the recent and violent earthquake, in the midst of the continuous suffering caused by the armed conflict.”
