Vatican City, Dec 13, 2007 / 18:13 pm
Earlier today, Pope Benedict issued a “fresh call” to public officials calling on them to help restore the hope of people around the world through education in moral and human values and resorting to dialogue instead of violence to solve disputes. The Pope went on to raise particular areas where hope is threatened in the diplomats’ respective countries.
The Holy Father made his remarks to new ambassadors arriving at the Vatican from Thailand, Namibia, Singapore, Kuwait, Seychelles, Gambia and Suriname.
In his written remarks to the Thai ambassador, the Pope expresses his concern over "the scourge of AIDS, prostitution and the trafficking of women and children which continue to afflict the countries of the region."
The cause of these afflictions is, according to the Holy Father, "the decline in moral values, fueled by the trivialization of sexuality in the media and entertainment industries, [which] leads to the degradation of women and even the abuse of children.”