Vatican City, Apr 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
During the reception of the diplomatic credentials of the new ambassador of Lebanon, Naji Abi Assi, Pope John Paul II called again for a strengthened role of the United Nations in securing peace.
The Pontiff said that in light of the present international situation “the Holy See does not cease to plead for a return to the stability and international order, thanks to the recognition of the regulating role of international organizations, especially the United Nations, and to strengthening their means to make decisions and take action in order to reduce tensions and guarantee peace.”
“It is to be hoped,” he continued, “that your country will recover stable conditions which will favor economic and social development for everyone’s benefit, especially those most in need. This will help to avoid situations of injustice, economic difficulty and feelings of frustration that can debilitate the social fabric, discourage certain sectors of society to stay in the country, causing emigration which weakens a nation and deprives it of its most precious resources, human beings.”
The Pope then spoke about Lebanon’s strategic position, and asked the international community to assume its responsibility and to invite the parties involved, in the first place Israelis and Palestinians, to “renew dialogue without delay and to find ways to put an end to the infernal cycle of reciprocal violence.”