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UN Secretary-General mourns Pope Francis, praises his advocacy for the vulnerable
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Summary
The Secretary-General issued a brief statement at the United Nations mourning the death of Pope Francis, describing him as a "messenger of hope" and urging the world to follow his calls to aid the vulnerable, protect the environment and reject "the logic of fear." No questions were taken.
The Secretary-General at the United Nations issued a brief statement mourning the death of Pope Francis and praising the pontiff’s commitment to peace, human dignity and environmental stewardship.
The Secretary-General said he would not take questions and offered condolences: "I want to extend my deepest condolences to Catholics and all those around the world inspired by the extraordinary life and example of his holiness, Pope Francis." He described the pope as "a messenger of hope, humility, and humanity."
The statement said Pope Francis "was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity, and social justice. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, service, and compassion for all, especially those on the margins of life or trapped by the horrors of conflict." The Secretary-General added that the United Nations had been "greatly inspired by his commitment to the goals and ideals of our organization."
Referring to the pope’s most recent public message, the Secretary-General said many found "great meaning" in Pope Francis’s final Easter message, delivered the previous day. "He appealed for us not to yield, as he called it, to the logic of fear. Instead, he urged the world to invest in what he referred to as the weapons of peace, to help the most vulnerable, to fight hunger, to advance development," the Secretary-General said.
The statement linked Pope Francis’s environmental appeals to a moral responsibility to "protect our common home," saying that such protection "belongs to every person." The Secretary-General closed the statement with "Thank you." No questions were taken.
The remarks constituted a formal, stand-alone statement by the Secretary-General; there were no votes, motions or follow-up actions recorded in the transcript.
