United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has praised Pope Francis as “a man of peace and purpose” following their first meeting at the Vatican.
“He is a voice for the voiceless. I look forward to continuing our conversation,” Ban said, adding that he had invited the Pope to visit the UN “at his earliest convenience”.
The secretary general said he told the Holy Father that his decision to choose his name after St Francis of Assisi was a “powerful image for the many goals and purposes shared by the United Nations”.
“He speaks loudly of his commitment to the poor, he has a deep sense of humility, his passion and compassion to improve the human condition,” Ban said.
“I was especially privileged to meet Pope Francis as we mark 1000 days to the deadline to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We discussed the need to advance social justice and accelerate work to meet with the MDGs. This is vital if we are to meet the Millennium promise to the world’s poorest”
The secretary general also praised the Pope’s commitment in advancing inter-religious dialogue among the communities of faith. The appreciation of shared values, he continued, would “lead to tolerance, inclusion and peace”.
“This is the driving force of the UN’s ‘Alliance of civilisations’ initiative and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to speak with Pope Francis about furthering this work,” Ban said.
According to a communique released by the Holy See, matters discussed by the Pope and secretary general included situations of conflict and serious humanitarian emergency, especially in Syria and other places such as the Korean peninsula and the African continent, as well as problems regarding human trafficking, particularly that of women, migrants and refugees.
The communiqué said the Pope “recalled the Catholic Church’s contribution, beginning with her identity and through the means proper to her, in support of the entirety of human dignity and in promoting a Culture of Encounter that helps to realise the UN’s highest institutional goals”.
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Image: Christian Today