Pope Francis and John Kerry, U.S. President Joe Biden's special envoy for climate, met privately in a closed-door meeting, last week at the Vatican.

In an interview after the meeting, Kerry said he believes Francis will participate in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16).

This assumption seems borne out in one of the partial video clips released by the Vatican.

In this, the climate envoy can be heard telling his staff, "First day, he'll be there with the heads of state."

Someone replies "That's great. We've been hearing that, so it's nice to have confirmation."

Kerry then says: "It will be amazing. I'm telling you it will have a profound impact."

In the post-interview meeting, Kerry said the pope's moral authority and teaching on the need to address climate change and poverty could encourage more people to increase their commitment to improving the environment.

People need to know that making a positive difference is possible.

Climate change can be slowed while creating millions of new jobs, Kerry emphasised.

A Vatican-released video clip of Kerry's meeting with Francis shows an exchange of gifts between the two world leaders.

Kerry gave Francis two books. One was his autobiography, "Every Day Is Extra," the other, the Pulitzer-winning environmental novel "The Overstory" by Richard Powers.

In exchange, Francis gave Kerry a signed copy of his World Peace Day message, a collection of his encyclicals, including "Laudato Si'" - his encyclical on the environment - and a sculpture of a grapevine.

Although the meeting was private, a concept note about Kerry's keynote address was released.

"The current crisis and global state of confusion" results from "the globalism of selfishness, exclusion and the throwaway culture," the note for the envoy says.

"Inequality and hunger are increasing, posing major ethical, economic and political challenges to which both policy makers and civil society must react."

"Comprehensive plans to combat climate change and transform the global system of food production and distribution must be developed," it adds.

Source

• Crux Now
• Image: America Magazine

In an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the organizations demanded a proper investigation into a crime that has captured international attention and put a spotlight on impunity in the Central American country. The called for the U.S. government to not allow the killing of Caceres to go unsolved and unpunished and to avoid a response of "business as usual." Instead, they urged, the U.S. should use the tragedy to make "a profound change of direction toward improving the abysmal situation of human rights in Honduras."

"We ask that the State Department make clear to the Honduran government that future partnership and funding depends on demonstrating the political will to investigate and prosecute this crime and all crimes against human rights defenders," the groups said in the letter, dated March 7.

"The Honduran government ... must guarantee freedom of expression, including by ending harsh, constant repression of social protests, ensuring an immediate end to intimidating public statements by government officials and members of the military and police that place human rights defenders and journalists in danger, and ending specious prosecution of human rights defenders."

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The offer came during a meeting on Tuesday, between Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and US Secretary of State, John Kerry, held at the Vatican.

The Vatican stood ready to "help find adequate humanitarian solutions through our international contacts", Spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi SJ confirmed, at a press conference following the meeting.

"There's a desire by the Vatican to follow the situation closely, even if [the precise solution] is obviously not among the Vatican's competences, but the Holy See favours adequate humanitarian solutions that lead to the closing the Guantanamo prison," said the spokesman.

Lombardi confirmed other topics discussed included in the discussions were the situation in the Middle East, talks between Israel and Palestine officials, the crisis in Ukraine and the Ebola epidemic.

The Vatican spokesman did not expand further on the contents of any of the discussions, but acknowledged there was a problem of where the current detainees can go and where they will be made welcome.

In October, the Pope railed against "penal populism" that led countries to facilitate torture, using the death penalty and imprisoning people without trial.

The US bishops have repeatedly called for Guantanamo's closure, saying that such torture violates Church teaching.

However former Vice-President Dick Cheney gave an unflinching defence of the CIA's torture programme.

Speaking on US television's, "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Cheney dismissed criticisms of the program's forced rectal feedings, waterboarding and death.

"It worked. It absolutely did work.

"I'd do it again in a minute," said Cheney.

Cheney said he was more disturbed by the detainees released from Guantanamo and prisons in Iraq - many under his own administration - who have returned to the battlefield.

President Barack Obama has launched a new push to close Guantanamo, and recently a dozen prisoners transferred out, leaving about 130 from a high of 700 on the U.S. base in Cuba.

Sources

• ABC
• NCR
• Huffington Post
• Crux
• Globe and Mail
• Image: Conggaio

Kerry announced on Wednesday the creation of a new "Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives" within the State Department.

"I want you to go out and engage religious leaders and faith-based communities in our day-to-day work," Kerry told State Department workers.

"Build strong relationships with them and listen to their insights and understand the important contributions that they can make individually and that we can make together," he added.

The State Department said the new office will set department policy on engagement with faith-based communities and will work in conjunction with bureaus and posts to reach out to those communities to advance the Department's diplomacy and development objectives.

"It will also work closely with faith communities to ensure that their voices are heard in the foreign policy process, including through continued collaboration with the Department's religion and foreign policy working group," it added.

The new office has been met with a mix of excitement and apprehension from noted policy analysts and religious scholars, who realize the important role that religion plays in civil and political society while questioning the role of government in such circles.

Sources

Huffington Post

The Christian Post

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