Pope to Asian ambassadors: “Resolve disagreements through peaceful means”

When hosting several new ambassadors from Asian countries at the Vatican, Pope Francis underlined the necessity of fostering brotherhood and settling disagreements amicably.

On May 19, Pope Francis received new non-resident ambassadors to the Holy See from Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Burundi, and Qatar.

In his address, Pope acknowledged that although the world has almost recovered from the pandemic, we are still faced with a "new pandemic." 

"The dark cloud of war [has] descended over Eastern Europe," said the pope.

The Holy Father stated that the war would, directly and indirectly, harm global civilization.

The pope urged the ambassadors present to "bring out the best in humanity in response to the pandemic."

Furthermore, the pontiff asked all to build "a sense of solidarity and fraternity."

He stated that one of the possible humanitarian acts is "to provide humanitarian assistance and accept war refugees without counting the expense."

He said that helping others and having a sense of brotherhood "must not depend on geography or self-interest" and "must not just apply to war and violent conflict."

"But also to other injustices that plague the human family, "according to the pope, such as global warming, poverty, and hunger.

He told the ambassadors, "Never give up on our efforts to build a world where there is a sense of brotherhood and mutual understanding and disagreements are settled peacefully."

The Pontiff said that the Holy See's ongoing efforts to solve these problems need help worldwide.

"With the belief that the problems that affect the whole human family need a united response from the international community, with each member doing their part," he concluded. - Kasmir Nema