Pope Francis and the United Nations have many common goals, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in an emailed statement on March 13.
“I look forward to continuing cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See under the wise leadership of His Holiness Pope Francis,” Ban said.
“We share many common goals – from the promotion of peace, social justice and human rights, to the eradication of poverty and hunger – all core elements of sustainable development,” he added.
“We also share the conviction that we can only resolve the interconnected challenges of today’s world through dialogue. I am certain that His Holiness will continue to build on the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, in the promotion of inter-faith dialogue which is at the heart of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.”
The papacy passed to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Wednesday. He was selected by fellow Cardinals to assume the office of Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned effective Feb. 28.
Bergoglio, 76, is the first pope born in Argentina. His father was an Italian immigrant to the South American nation.
Free United Nations Examiner email alerts
Comments