Pope Francis, a ‘champion of the most marginalized': UN
The late pontiff inspires all to renew commitment to peace, human dignity, and social justice, says UN chief Guterres May 01, 2025
Images of the late Pope Francis are displayed on screens in the General Assembly ahead of a special commemorative session to pay tribute to him at UN headquarters in New York on April 29. (Photo: UN/Vatican Media)
NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has praised the late Pope Francis as a 'champion of the most marginalized people on earth' and urged UN officials and members to carry forward his message of hope.Remembering Francis as a "messenger of hope," Guterres reminded his listeners that it is up to them to 'carry this hope forward."
Guterres made his remarks during a special commemorative session organized at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, on April 29, Vatican News reported on April 30. "As we mourn the death of Pope Francis, let us renew our commitment to peace, human dignity, and social justice - the causes to which he dedicated every moment of his extraordinary life,' Guterres said.Francis died on April 21 due to a stroke followed by a cardiac arrest at the age of 88. He was interred at the Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome on April 26.Guterres emphasized that Francis "was a voice of community in a world of division," "a voice of mercy in a world of cruelty," and "a voice of peace in a world of war."He noted that Francis spoke about the UN's ideal of a 'united human family harmony, working not only for peace, but in peace, working not only for justice, but in a spirit of justice."He also extended the UN's condolences to the Catholic community and others around the world and hailed Francis as 'a man of faith and a bridge-builder among all faiths.'
Early experiences in charity
Guterres pointed out that before leading the Catholic Church for more than 12 years, Francis had decades of experience in service and good works among the poor in the slums of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. "These early experiences sharpened his conviction that faith must be an engine of action and change,' Guterres emphasized.
Francis was an "unstoppable voice for social justice and equality," Guterres said while adding that his 2020 encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (Brothers and Sisters All), drew a straight line between greed and poverty, hunger, inequality and suffering.
"While decrying the inequality that defines our globalized economy, he also warned against what he called the 'globalization of indifference,'" Guterres said.
Francis' humanity and humility
Guterres recalled he was struck by Francis' humanity and humility during his first meeting with the Argentinian pontiff at the Vatican in 2019."He always saw challenges through the eyes of those on the peripheries of life,' Guterres recalled while echoing Francis' message and actions of reaching out to those in the far-flung and forgotten areas of the Church and the world.
Hailing Francis as a 'pilgrim of peace,' Guterres pointed out that the pope ventured to war-torn countries around the world, from Iraq to South Sudan to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He hailed Francis for decrying bloodshed and violence and pushing for reconciliation.
Champion of migrants, innocent and suffering
Guterres recalled Francis' first official visit as a pope to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa in 2013 "to put a global spotlight on the desperate plight of asylum seekers and migrants."
At that time, Francis warned against ''the culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people,'' Guterres said.
The Pope also "called on all countries to welcome, promote, accompany and integrate those who,' knock on their doors, Guterres recalled.
Francis also "stood with conviction for innocents caught in war zones such as Ukraine and Gaza,' Guterres said, adding that the pope not only used his global platform but acted in more personal and profound ways.
Guterres recalled how Francis called up the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City and enquired about the health and well-being of the people there, asking questions that ''a father would ask.'"
During his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, Francis resolutely called for the ending of conflicts across the world, he noted.--ucanews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Iran says no nuclear deal if deprived of ‘peaceful activities'
CAIRO: Iran said Monday it will not accept a nuclear agreement that deprives it of what it calls 'peaceful activities', a reference to uranium enrichment, as it pressed the United States for guarantees it will drop sanctions. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention between the foes, in talks to seal a nuclear deal since April, with Iran defending what it says is its pursuit of a civil nuclear programme but with the US side calling it a 'red line'. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: 'If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached.' Araghchi insisted that Iran has 'nothing to hide' on its nuclear programme. 'Iran has a peaceful nuclear programme... we are prepared to provide this assurance to any party or entity,' he said. The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. The IAEA report showed that Iran has stepped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent -- close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. 'There is a need for more transparency -- this is very, very clear -- in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities,' Grossi said ahead of meeting Araghchi. Grossi added that some of the report's findings 'may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticised'. Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions 'exploit' it. 'Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap,' Araghchi said of the IAEA. Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with President Donald Trump's administration. Araghchi said on Saturday that he had received 'elements' of a US proposal for a nuclear deal following five rounds of talks mediated by Oman. 'With or without a deal' On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: 'We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted.' 'So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue,' he said. The US envoy in the nuclear talks said last month that Trump's administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment. 'An enrichment programme can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment,' Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News. Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium 'with or without a deal' on its nuclear programme. The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called 'acceptable' and in Tehran's 'best interest' to accept, US media reported on Saturday. The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power. Iran has held five rounds of talks with the United States in search of a new agreement to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
UN chief calls for probe into deaths near Gaza aid site
GAZA CITY: UN chief Antonio Guterres called Monday for an independent investigation into the killing of dozens of Palestinians near a US-backed aid centre in Gaza after rescuers blamed the deaths on Israeli fire and the military denied any involvement. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 people and wounded 176 near the aid distribution site in the southern city of Rafah, with AFP photos showing civilians at the scene carting away bodies and medics at nearby hospitals reporting a deluge of gunshot wound victims. The Israeli military, however, denied its troops had fired on civilians in or around the centre, and both it and the aid site's administrator accused Hamas of sowing false rumours. 'I am appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza yesterday. It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,' Guterres said in a statement, without assigning blame for the deaths. 'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.' The Israeli government has cooperated with the group running the site, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), to introduce a new mechanism for distributing aid in Gaza that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system. The UN has declined to work with the group out of concerns about its neutrality, with some aid agencies saying it appears designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. 'Killed right in front of me' An eyewitness from the scene in Rafah, Sameh Hamuda, 33, had told AFP he was headed towards the aid site amid a crowd of other Palestinians when 'quadcopter drones opened fire on the people, and tanks started shooting'. 'Several people were killed right in front of me,' he said. Another witness, Abdullah Barbakh, 58, also told AFP 'the army opened fire from drones and tanks'. Following the reports, the Israeli army said an initial inquiry found its troops 'did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site'. Army spokesman Effie Defrin said in a video message that 'Hamas is doing its best, its utmost, to stop us from' distributing aid, and vowed to 'investigate each one of those allegations' against Israeli troops. 'I urge you not to believe every rumour spread by Hamas,' he added. GHF also denied any deaths or injuries took place, adding that 'these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas'. Israel has come under increasing international pressure to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza following a more than two-month blockade on aid that was only recently eased. The UN has warned the entire population of the territory is facing the risk of famine. It has also reported recent incidents of aid being looted, including by armed individuals. 'Points of contention' Talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and the return of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 2023 attack that triggered the war have failed to produce a breakthrough. Militants took 251 hostages during the attack, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 who the Israeli military says are dead. After the two sides failed to agree on a new ceasefire proposal last week, Hamas said it was ready to 'immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention'. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, meanwhile, said he had told the army 'to continue forward in Gaza against all targets, regardless of any negotiations'. Since a brief truce collapsed in March, Israel has intensified its operations to destroy Hamas. On Monday, Gaza's civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said 14 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza, 'including six children and three women, in addition to more than 20 missing individuals still under the rubble'. 'This house has been bombed before... and people were martyred previously,' resident Mousa al-Bursh told AFP. 'The house primarily belongs to the Al-Bursh family, but it shelters many others, more than one family, and we don't know the number of victims inside.' The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 4,201 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,470, mostly civilians. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
UN nuclear chief urges ‘more transparency' from Iran
CAIRO: The UN atomic watchdog's chief on Monday called for more transparency from Iran as it seeks relief from sanctions in negotiations over its nuclear programme. International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi made the comments ahead of a meeting in Cairo with Iran's top diplomat and chief nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araghchi. It comes a day after a leaked IAEA report showed Iran has stepped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 percent -- close to the roughly 90 percent level needed for atomic weapons. In a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty before the scheduled tripartite meeting, Grossi defended the report, calling it 'impartial'. 'We say things as they are without a political agenda,' Grossi said, stressing the report 'tells it as it is'. 'There is a need for more transparency -- this is very, very clear -- in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities,' he added. Iran has rejected the IAEA's findings, calling it a 'political' manouevre based on 'unreliable and misleading information'. Grossi said some of the report's findings 'may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticised'. In a phone call with Grossi on Saturday, Araghchi warned Iran would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions 'exploit' the report. Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution, saying 'the region is already experiencing enough crises and security challenges'. 'We completely reject any escalation or incitement of a military option,' he said, warning against 'descending into a state of chaos from which no one will be spared'. The UN report comes as Iran holds talks with the United States on its nuclear programme, after Washington unilaterally abandoned a landmark agreement between Tehran and world powers in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term. Iran on Monday demanded a US guarantee that sanctions will be lifted as part of a nuclear deal. The 2015 deal aimed to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb -- a goal Western countries accused it of pursuing, though Tehran denies it. The Iranian foreign minister said Saturday he had received 'elements' of a US proposal for a potential nuclear deal following five rounds of Omani-mediated talks. The UN agency's board of governors is set to review Iran's nuclear activities in its upcoming quarterly meeting in Vienna starting June 9.
