POPE WELCOMES FIVE NEW AMBASSADORS TO THE HOLY SEE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 16, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed five new ambassadors to the Holy See during a ceremony in which they collectively presented their Letters of Credence. He addressed the new ambassadors as a group, then met personally with each one, consigning a speech which accented the particular situation in their country.

The new ambassadors are: Bjarne Bladbjerg of Denmark, Aloys Mbonayo from Burundi, Ampalavanar Selverajah of Singapore, Jacques Bihozagara from Rwanda and Tayyab Siddiqui of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In his speech in French, he pointed out that "the approach of the new millennium is an invitation for all men," especially leaders in the economic, political and social realms, "to bring greater attention to their brothers and sisters."

"Globalization," underlined the Pope, "should not lead to a growing impoverishment of the most disadvantaged peoples, often constrained to bend to the economic rules of the rich countries. Economies should be determined by social politics on the national and international level, and not just subjected to financial factors."

"Those nations which have a long democratic and technical history, and an old economic and social vitality," he added, "have acquired knowledge and know-how. They can put these at the service of those countries which have difficulty in running the infrastructures and organizations which are indispensable to economic growth, to the needs of health and the basic needs of persons."

The Holy Father stressed that "it is also important to develop aid for countries committed to pursuing the fight against poverty and injustice, sources of numerous centers of violence and violations of human rights." A "concrete and tangible solidarity, for a better sharing of the world's riches and goods" is imperative.

Turning to another subject, Pope John Paul observed that "in this year in which we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Charter for Children, it would be good to become mobilized in order to give young people all that is necessary for their growth and to do everything possible so that they will not be subjected to violence and to work which prevents them from going to school, so that they might have a normal life for their age."

He said that young people must be "inserted into social and economic networks ... in order to make them protagonists of social life." If marginalization can be reduced, then "exacerbated forms of violence, drugs and delinquency" can be reduced or eliminated.

"It is intolerable," John Paul II said in closing remarks, "that children and young people are the objects of corrupt trade, whether this is to satisfy adults who have no morals or to feed the illegal networks of adoption or organ donations." And he lauded all persons and organizations who work to combat these scourges.

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