On the morning of Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in the Vatican 's Apostolic
Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, HE Mr Ban Ki-Moon, who later
met with His Eminence the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone,
accompanied by Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for
Relations with States.
The meeting, which is part in the
tradition of audiences granted by the Popes to the various
Secretaries-General of the United Nations who have succeeded each other
over time, desired to express the appreciation that the Holy See has for
the central role of the Organization in the preservation of peace in
the world, in the promotion of the common good of humanity and the
defense of fundamental human rights.
The cordial conversations
focused on issues of mutual interest, in particular on situations of
conflict and serious humanitarian emergencies, especially Syria, and
others, such as the Korean Peninsula and the African continent, where
peace and stability are threatened. Reference was also made to the
problem of trafficking in persons, especially women, and that of
refugees and migrants.
The UN Secretary General, who recently
began his second term in office, presented his five year program,
focused, among other things, on conflict prevention, international
solidarity and equitable and sustainable economic development .
Pope
Francis also recalled the contribution of the Catholic Church, starting
from Her identity and the means that are proper to Her, in favor of
integral human dignity and the promotion of a Culture of Encounter that
contributes to the highest institutional purposes of organization.