Pope Francis to new Ambassadors: creative work for
peace
(Vatican Radio) Pope
Francis on Thursday received Letters of Credence from
theAmbassadors to the Holy See from Estonia, Malawi, Namibia,
the Seychelles,Thailand and Zambia.
In remarks prepared
for the occasion and delivered Thursday morning in the Clementine Hall of the
Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Pope Francis reflected with Ambassadors Väino
Reinart of Estonia, Michael Barth Kamphambe Nkhoma of Malawi, Andreas
B. D. Guibeb of Namibia, Thomas Selby Pillay of the
Seychelles, Nopadol Gunavibool of Thailand, and Muyeba Shichapwa
Chikonde of Zambia, on the concrete reminder of our common humanity that
diplomatic service provides, and upon mindfulness of which effective diplomatic
activity depends.
“This service,” said Pope
Francis, “has taken on a particular urgency, as so many in our world are
suffering conflicts and war, forced migration and displacement, and the
uncertainty born of economic hardship.” The Holy Father went on to say, “These
problems demand not only that we reflect upon them and discuss them, but that
we also express concrete signs of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in
grave need.”
Peace was a central focus of
Pope Francis’ reflections, specifically and especially the service to the cause
of peace the nations of the world are called to render by finding ways
creatively and effectively to manage the tensions created and exacerbated by
conflicts that destroy whole societies and drive people from their homes.
“While our initiatives on behalf of peace should help people to remain in their
homelands,” he said, “this present hour urges us to assist migrants and those
caring for them: we must not allow misunderstanding and fear to weaken our
resolve; rather, we are called to build a culture of dialogue, one which
‘enables us to view others as valid dialogue partners, to respect the
foreigner, the immigrant and people from different cultures as worthy of being
listened to’ (Conferral
of the Charlemagne Prize, 6 May 2016).”
The Holy Father went on to
say, “In this way, we will promote an integration which respects the traditions
of migrants and preserves the culture of the community receiving them, all the
while enriching both.”
Warning against ceding to the
temptations of partial and short-sighted solutions, which do not address the
underlying issues that block the way toward genuine, just and lasting peace
among peoples in the world. “If misunderstanding and fear prevail,” he said,
“something of ourselves dies, our cultures, history and traditions are
weakened, and our own peace is compromised.”
“When,” however, “we foster
dialogue and solidarity, both individually and collectively, it is then that we
experience the best of humanity and secure an enduring peace for all, as
intended by our Creator,” Pope Francis said.
The Holy Father concluded his
remarks with particular greetings through the newly-accredited Ambassadors to
the Pastors and faithful of the Catholic communities present in their countries,
encouraging the Catholic communities there always to be heralds of hope and
peace.
The Pope made explicit
reference to those Christian and minority communities suffering persecution for
their beliefs. “[T]o them I renew my prayerful support and solidarity,” he
said.
“For its part,” Pope Francis
said finally, “the Holy See is honoured to be able to strengthen with each of
you [Ambassadors] and with the countries you represent an open and respectful
dialogue and a constructive collaboration.”
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