By Holy See Mission
Welcome Remarks
Archbishop Bernardito Auza,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
on the occasion of the Opening of the Exhibition
Friar Francis: traces, words, images
at the United Nations, New York, Monday 17 November 2014
Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening! Buona sera a tutti!
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, the co-sponsors and organizers are very pleased to bring to the heart of the “Family of Nations” the most important manuscripts on Saint Francis of Assisi, dating as far back as 1224. Bringing to New York these priceless documents has been extremely difficult and costly.
So, why are we doing this? We think it’s worth all the effort, because we believe that the values practiced and preached by Saint Francis are also the fundamental values of the United Nations, namely peace, the harmonious development of peoples in brotherhood and the love for nature. Without these values, we have wars and conflicts, injustices and all forms of slavery, environmental crises and disasters.
Pensando di questi valori incarnati in Francesco d’Assisi che il nostro odierno Francesco cerca di inculcare in tutti noi, penso anche dei valori su cui le Nazioni Unite si fondano, dei temi più brucianti che questa istituzione deve far fronte, ossia la pace, lo sviluppo dei popoli nella fratellanza, e la cura dell’ambiente. Senza questi valori, abbiamo guerre e conflitti, ingiustizie e forme di estrema povertà e di schiavitù, crisi ambientali e climatiche.
Dear friends, cari amici:
Wouldn’t this evening’s event be such a happy occasion, were these precious manuscripts on Saint Francis a harbinger of the visit to the United Nations of him who carries the Saint’s name! The Pope chose the name Francis precisely for these Franciscan core values of peace, fraternity of peoples and love for nature. Pope Francis made the announcement this morning that he will visit Philadelphia in September 2015 for the World Meeting of Families. The announcement is sending ripples from the Delaware River to the East River and the Potomac.
Non posso che associarmi al desiderio delle Nazioni Unite che Papa Francesco ci faccia una visita. Mi auguro dunque che, con e attraverso la Mostra Frate Francesco: tracce, parole, immagini, sia lo stesso Poverello d’Assisi a precedere colui che porta il suo nome e diffonde i suoi valori.
Benvenuti and thank you very much for your presence!
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