VATICAN CITY, JUN 16, 2005 (VIS) - Pope Benedict today received the Letters of Credence of seven new ambassadors to the Holy See, including the first ever representative from the Republic of Azerbaijan. Following his welcome address in French, the Pope presented each ambassador with a written message with references to the specific civil and religious situation in his country.
The new ambassadors are: Elchin Oktyabar oglu Amirbayov of Azerbaijan; El Hadj Aboubacar Dione of Guinea; Antonio Ganado of Malta, Geoffrey Kenyon Ward of New Zealand; Joseph Bonesha of Rwanda, Jean-Francois Kammer of Switzerland and David Douglas Hamadziripi of Zimbabwe.
The Pope said that, through the diplomats, he wished to address the peoples of their countries, telling them "I am close to them and pray for them. I invite them to commit themselves to fashion an ever more fraternal civilization, with renewed attention to everyone, especially the poorest people and those excluded from society."
"In this sense," he went on, "our world is faced with many challenges that it must surmount so that man will always be more important than technology, and the just destiny of peoples is the main concern of those who have accepted to administer public affairs, not for themselves, but for the common good. Our heart cannot be in peace when we see our brothers suffer for lack of food, work, housing or other fundamental goods."
To help our needy brothers and sisters, underscored Benedict XVI, "we have to face the first of these challenges: that of solidarity between generations, solidarity between countries and between continents, for a more equitable sharing among all men of the riches of the planet. It is one of the basic services that men of good will must give to mankind. The earth has, in fact, the capacity to feed all its inhabitants, on the condition that rich countries do not keep for themselves what belongs to everyone."
The Church, said the Holy Father, will never cease to remind people that "all men must be attentive to a human fraternity made of concrete gestures, at the level of individuals as well as at the level of governments and international institutions. ... The Church will continue on all continents to come to the aid of populations, with the support of local communities and all men and women of good will, especially in the fields of education, health care and basic goods."
CD/NEW AMBASSADORS/... VIS 20050616 (410)
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