Greeting each other with a bow, Pope Francis accepted the Letters of Credential by new Ambassadors to the Holy See.
He politely received each ambassador one-by-one from Tanzania, Lesotho, Pakistan, Mongolia, Denmark, Ethiopia and Finland. Then, the pope went on to speak about the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the world today.
POPE FRANCIS
“Among the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the international community is now the need to welcome, protect, promote and integrate those fleeing war and hunger or are forced by discrimination, persecution, poverty and environmental degradation to leave their homelands.”
He also mentioned the responsibility each leader has to counter the culture of indifference in society.
POPE FRANCIS
“None of us can ignore our moral responsibility to challenge the 'globalization of indifference' that all too often looks the other way in the face of tragic situations of injustice calling for an immediate humanitarian response.”
The solemn ceremony ended with another bow, as all the ambassadors stood on their feet to see the pope out.