Vatican
City, 31 May 2013
(VIS) – This morning in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy
Father Francis received in audience the president for the 67th
session of the United Nations General Assembly, His Excellency Mr.
Vuk Jeremic, who then went on to meet with the Secretary of State,
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop
Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
During
the course of the cordial conversations, some issues of mutual
interest were discussed, in particular, the resolution of
international conflicts through peaceful means, with specific
reference to the Middle East and the serious humanitarian emergencies
those conflicts have caused. In this context, the importance of
reconciliation between the communities that make up the various
societies and respect for the rights of ethnic and religious
minorities were emphasized. Attention was also given to the problem
of human trafficking and the plight of refugees and migrants.
Regarding the present global economic crisis, mention was made of the
role that the General Assembly of the United Nations could undertake
in its programs—that would be environmentally friendly and, at the
same time, capable of reducing the distance between the rich and the
poor—for an agenda of sustainable development after 2015.
Today’s
meeting confirmed the Holy See’s appreciation for the United
Nation’s central role in seeking the common good of humanity. Also,
the Catholic Church’s contribution, with the means proper to her
and respectful of her identity, in promoting the complete dignity of
the human person as well as peace and a culture of encounter was not
overlooked, with the hopes that such values might always inspire the
General Assembly’s debates and deliberations.
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