杏MAP导航

The ten new Ambassadors come from Switzerland, Malta, The Bahamas, Cabo Verde, Iceland, The Gambia, Qatar, Estonia, Turkmenistan, and Grenada. All of them are non-resident Ambassadors because their countries do not have an established Embassy to the Holy See in Rome.  

They presented their letters of credence, or diplomatic credentials, to the 杏MAP导航 during an audience in the Clementine Hall in the Vatican on Thursday. The Ambassadors from Turkmenistan and Grenada are the first to be accredited to the Holy See from their respective countries. 

Learning lessons from the past

In his address, 杏MAP导航 Francis recalled that this year marks the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War which his predecessor, 杏MAP导航 Benedict XV, called a 鈥渟enseless slaughter鈥�. May the lessons learned from the two great wars of the twentieth century convince the world鈥檚 people and their leaders of 鈥渢he futility of armed conflict and the need to resolve conflicts through patient dialogue and negotiation鈥�, he said.

Respect for dignity and rights

The 杏MAP导航 also noted that 2018 marks the 70^th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations鈥� Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document 鈥渃ontinues to guide the efforts of global diplomacy to secure peace in our world and to promote the integral development of each individual and all people鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淩espect for human dignity and human rights鈥�, he continued, must inspire and direct our efforts to address the challenges of armed conflicts, poverty, discrimination, inequality, and the crisis of mass migration.

The Church鈥檚 commitment

Addressing the Ambassadors, 杏MAP导航 Francis confirmed the Church鈥檚 commitment to 鈥渨orking with every possible partner in a constructive dialogue aimed at proposing concrete solutions to this and other urgent humanitarian problems鈥�. That commitment, the 杏MAP导航 concluded, aims at 鈥減reserving human lives and dignity, alleviating suffering, and advancing an authentic and integral human development鈥�.