Vatican City, Dec 13, 2007 / 09:32 am
Pope Benedict held an unusually large audience today as he received seven new ambassadors to the Holy See from various countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He used the occasion to call upon all public officials to do everything in their power to restore hope to the people they rule. The pontiff said this must be done by overcoming violence with dialogue and educating people in human and moral values.
The Holy Father told the diplomats that their role is “particularly important in today's world, in order to show that in all situations of international life, dialogue must overcome violence, and the desire for peace and fraternity must prevail over contrasts and selfishness that lead[s] only to tensions”.
Benedict said that through these ambassadors he wished to “launch a fresh call to everyone who plays a role in public life and to those who participate in governing nations, to do everything in their power to restore hope to the peoples they rule.”
The Pope also provided them with a rough sketch of how to restore hope to their citizens. He explained that governments must bear in mind “their deepest aspirations so that everyone may benefit from the profits of the natural and economic resources of his or her country, in accordance with the principles of justice and equity."