On Sept. 25, 2015, for the fifth time in history, a pope entered the grand glass building of the United Nations in New York.
Pope Francis met there with the then Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in his official office in one of the highest floors of the high-rise.
Meanwhile, leaders from around the world were settling into the General Assembly room.
Not only were there heads of state and government officials. There were also prominent figures and celebrities. These included Bill and Melinda Gates; Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala; and actor Daniel Craig.
When Pope Francis entered, there was silence, and many stood up to welcome him.
BAN KI-MOON
“It is an honor for us to host you during this historic visit.”
Pope Francis gave a remarkably social speech with a calm and composed tone. He denounced the exploitation of the environment and the marginalization of the poor.
POPE FRANCIS
“The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion. In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged.”
He explained that in order to resolve these issues, people must recognize that they are not the absolute masters of nature. He said they must respect nature as it is and accept the consequences of not doing so.
POPE FRANCIS
“The defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman, and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions.”
The pope called for measures to aid the sustainable development of the poorest peoples, and denounced nuclear proliferation and the arms race.
POPE FRANCIS
“An ethical code and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are self-contradictory and an affront to the entire framework of the United Nations, which would end up as nations united by fear and distrust…”
Before saying goodbye, the pope said that respect for diversity should help bring out the best of each nation in order to build a better world together. The message was hailed with a long round of applause.
Once outside the great hall, an international choir sang a well-known Argentinian lullaby called “Duerme negrito” to bid farewell to the pope.
Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translation CC
