His Holiness Pope Francis Delivers Address For the Third World Day For Grandparents and the Elderly
“His mercy is from age to age” (Lk 1:50)
Image source: Vatican Media
On Sunday, July 23, 2023, the Holy Father Pope Francis celebrated Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in recognition of the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The theme of the celebration was “His mercy is from age to age” (Lk 1:50). In his message for the occasion, Pope Francis said that this theme takes us back to the joyful meeting between the young Mary and her elderly relative Elizabeth. The Holy Father said in his message: “God wants young people to bring joy to the hearts of the elderly, as Mary did to Elizabeth, and gain wisdom from their experiences. Yet, above all, the Lord wants us not to abandon the elderly or to push them to the margins of life, as tragically happens all too often in our time.”
Pope Francis noted that this year, the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly takes place close to World Youth Day (from August 2 to August 6, 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal). Both celebrations invite Catholics to reflect on the bond uniting young and old.
Pope Francis to Travel to Lisbon for World Youth Day, August 2-6
Visit the World Youth Day site to learn more about World Youth Day, a worldwide encounter with the Pope held in a different country about every three years.
Click here to view the itinerary of the Holy Father's Apostolic Journey to Portugal on the occasion of the 37th World Youth Day.
Holy See Statement at the 2023 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
On 19 July 2023, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, delivered a statement during the High-Level Political Development Forum on the theme “Building momentum towards the 2023 SDG Summit: Transformation for accelerating implementation of the SDGs.”
In his remarks, Archbishop Caccia noted with concern that halfway towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress towards the goals of the Agenda has either been insufficient or has regressed, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poverty eradication remains the greatest global challenge and a requirement for sustainable development.
Archbishop Caccia described a dangerous and pervasive “throwaway culture,” which fosters indifference to many kinds of wastefulness. To counter this, he called on the international community to generate development processes in which the inherent dignity of every person is respected, the needs of the poor and those in vulnerable situations are met, and a harmonious relationship with the environment is restored.
Other Holy See Statements at the United Nations
Archbishop Caccia Delivers Statement on the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine
On July 18, 2023, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, addressed the General Assembly during a Plenary Meeting on “the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.”
In his remarks, Archbishop Caccia began by expressing the Holy See’s grave concern about the blood-shedding war in Ukraine and reiterated its plea that weapons be silenced. He implored States to continue to give humanitarian support to the displaced, and to strive for the swift reunification of all families separated by the violence in Ukraine.
Archbishop Caccia reiterated Pope Francis’s words that the international community “must not grow resigned to war but work together for peace.” He concluded by calling for a ceasefire and the beginning of negotiations toward a just and lasting peace.
Holy See Statement on African Countries, Least Developed Countries, and Landlocked Developing Countries
On July 13, 2023, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations intervened in the panel discussion on the theme “African countries, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries Turning the tide, regaining lost ground and embarking on the road to the SDGs,” during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The statement was delivered by Monsignor Robert Murphy, Deputy Permanent Observer and Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., of the Holy See Mission.
In his remarks, Monsignor Murphy urged the international community to renew its commitment to support countries in special situations and ensure that their specific development needs and priorities are addressed. People are the greatest resource of countries in special situations, he said, emphasizing that development models should advance integral human development in addition to economic or financial challenges. To ensure that all women, men, and children can develop to their full potential, support themselves and their families, and participate in society, poverty eradication remains the most urgent challenge for the international community to address collectively. In this regard, trade plays an important role, as it can foster economic growth.
Holy See Statement on Small Island Developing States During the High-Level Political Forum
On July 11, 2023, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations intervened in the panel discussion on the theme “Small Island Developing States: From recovery to resilience in the face of multiple shocks,” during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The statement was delivered by Monsignor Robert Murphy, Deputy Permanent Observer and Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., of the Holy See Mission.
In his remarks, Monsignor Murphy emphasized that climate action, capacity building for disaster risk reduction, and environmental protection must be at the center of development programs designed to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He noted that the upcoming Fourth International Conference in 2023 could provide an opportunity for the international community to develop new strategies to support SIDS in pursuit of sustainable development, particularly including ongoing work towards a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI).
Achieving sustainable development for SIDS will require the adoption of measures that promote the integral human development of every man, woman, and child.
Holy See Statement during Dialogue on Culture and Sustainable Development
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations issued a statement during the High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Culture and Sustainable Development. The theme of the discussion was “Culture as a global public good: Filling SDG implementation gaps beyond 2030.”
The statement was delivered by Monsignor Robert Murphy, Deputy Permanent Observer and Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., of the Holy See Mission.
In his remarks, Monsignor Murphy began by defining culture as the fundamental dimension of human life through which every man and woman comes to a full humanity. Thus, the integral development of the person and the good of society as a whole, he stressed, are the essential ends of culture. However, these ends are threatened by a “throwaway culture” characterized by ideologies of individualism, egocentrism, and materialistic consumerism, which discards and abandons the weakest.
The antidote to this “throwaway mentality” is to promote a culture of care, encounter, and solidarity. Such a culture is indispensable for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including measures to ensure access to inclusive and equitable quality education.
Life of the Mission
(Above) On July 19, 2023, Mr. Michal Mlynár, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), visited the Holy See Mission during his trip to New York for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Mr. Mlynár, who previously served as the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations from 2017 until beginning his current position in April 2023, met with Archbishop Caccia and other Holy See Mission staff members to discuss priorities and possible areas for collaboration.
Birthdays and Ordination Anniversaries
The Mission celebrated two birthdays in June: Ms. Christina Gaudino and Sister Carmen Melendez, OMO.
Congratulations to Monsignor Robert Murphy (not pictured), who celebrated his 22nd Priestly Ordination Anniversary on July 21.
Ad Multos Annos!
Since 2015, the Holy See Mission has had 162 interns from 37 countries.
The internship program provides the opportunity for bright, Catholic, English-speaking college graduates or graduate students to gain experience assisting the Holy See in its multilateral work at the UN, seeking to bring the light of Catholic Social Teaching to the debates of the international community.
Our interns are integral to the work of the Holy See at the United Nations. They attend various UN meetings, conferences, and debates, and then prepare reports that, once reviewed, are sent to the Holy See’s central offices in the Vatican. Our interns also assist with the Mission’s conferences, receptions, and cultural events.
There are three internship cycles each year: Fall, Spring, and Summer, and eight internship positions are available per cycle. The Mission is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2024 session, which will run from January through May 2024.
Upcoming Event: Annual UN Prayer Service on September 5, 2023
Each year since 1986, on the occasion of the opening of the new session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See has organized a Prayer Service for the United Nations Diplomatic Community and personnel, together with religious leaders from the New York area.
This year, an Evening Prayer Service will take place on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, which marks the beginning of the 78th Session, from 6:00 to 6:50 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Family (315 East 47th Street – a block from the UN). We have asked His Excellency, Most Reverend Frank Dewane, Bishop of Venice (Florida), to deliver the meditation on the double anniversary that falls this year: 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 60 years of Pope St. John XXIII’s Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris.
As is customary, we have invited the Secretary-General, the President of the 77th Session of the General Assembly and the President of the 78th Session to deliver brief remarks at the beginning of the ceremony.
Prayers will be offered in gratitude for all that has been accomplished during the 77th Session of the General Assembly, and for the success of the upcoming 78th Session. It will also be an occasion to entrust to God our efforts for peace in the world, for the development and advancement of the human family, and for a solution to the ongoing refugee crisis.