Reflections by His Excellency Archbishop

Timothy Broglio
 

President of the United States

Conference of Catholic Bishops

Vespers at the Vigil of LXXX General Assembly UN

 

Your Excellencies

Mr. Secretary General Antonio Guterres,

Mr. President Philémon Yang,

Madame President Annalena Baerbock,

Msgr. Gabriele Caccia,

Your Excellencies the Ambassadors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

What a joyful occasion to gather in prayer as you anticipate the United Nations’ Eightieth General Assembly.  We pray for the guidance of the Most High as you consider so many challenges to world peace, international cooperation, and the environment in difficult times.  I thank Archbishop Caccia for his kind invitation.

For the Catholic Church we gather on one of the oldest celebrations dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was already present in the V Century in an ancient church where the image of Mary as a child was venerated.  It seems significant that we gather on a day dedicated to the young Jewish mother revered by Christians and Moslems alike.  She is even mentioned twice in the Quran.[1]

Traditionally, this liturgical feast invites us to consider that Almighty God does not improvise. Rather He continually “prepares” for the signs of His love in human history—to which humanity is sometimes open. We do have a free will and sometimes we ignore the divine will or find ourselves too distracted by our immediate and limited concerns.  Among other things, the Blessed Virgin teaches us to accept the Lord’s will for us and the opening prayer of this feast bids us to seek peace.

Associated with this memorial in the Catholic liturgy is the genealogy according to St. Matthew which is read during the Mass.  The author insists on both divine Providence and the human response in the realization of the plan of God for humanity.  The long list of names might seem tedious, but a closer look reminds us that Almighty God does not calculate according to human logic. Several less than exemplary figures have their names included in the human ancestry of Christ.  Yet they played a role in the history of our salvation.  Together they invite us to reflect on how Almighty God prepares and forms us for service to Him and cares for the community of faith. 

We are also mindful of a series of anniversaries that occur this year.  Next month will mark the 80th anniversary of the foundation of this noble attempt “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,… and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom…”[2]

St. Paul VI addressed the General Assembly in 1965, his first and only visit as Pope to New York City.  I remember the visit well as an eighth grader in a Catholic school.  It was the only time I ever saw a television in the classroom.  We were allowed to watch part of the visit during the school day.  Let his dramatic appeal ring again in our hearts: » jamais plus la guerre, jamais plus la guerre! C'est la paix, la paix, qui doit guider le destin des peuples et de toute l'humanité!”[3]

His visit opened the doors for the successive visits of three of his four successors.  I have little doubt that the current successor of St. Peter will also eventually find his way to this important crossroads of dialogue and earnest striving for peace among all peoples.  May you never tire of in the quest of peace, international cooperation, a healthy environment, and the progress of all peoples.  It would be foolish to ignore the opportunity of the platform of the UN organization to encourage global solutions to global problems.

The representatives of the member States bring with them an important perspective that opens a view to the world and offers a forum, especially for smaller Nations to make their realities come alive on a global stage.   My own experience of spending thirty three years outside the US offered me an opportunity to see the world from a vantage point different from my backyard.  That seeing and speaking about different realities can teach us that while customs, languages, history, and expectations can differ, we are all human persons endowed with an undeniable common dignity.  The aspirations of most people to enjoy a certain measure of prosperity, to be able to raise and feed a family, to know security, and to offer the hope of a better life to the next generation do not differ greatly regardless of the national origins.

You have a unique opportunity here to remind the mighty of the world of those aspirations and to foster an atmosphere of understanding.  I also know that the task is not easy.  Not everyone with ears wants to hear, especially if the message challenges long-held convictions—regardless or not if these are based on fact.

In my role as President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States has taught me that people do not always allow another voice to disturb conclusions they have reached or the message orchestrated by other fonts of opinion.  Sometimes they are not so gentle or diplomatic in registering their dissent!  No doubt the Ambassadors in this church are not unfamiliar with such negative reactions.

However, negativity, disagreement, or even loud voices should not deter you from the pursuit of dialogue, peace, and a healthy resolution of differences.  Someone must show that there is a better way forward, there is space for everyone, and a measure of this world’s goods must be enjoyed by all people.

I always say that an anniversary is an occasion to look both ways: backwards to see where we have been and to rejoice in what has been accomplished and forwards to see what more can be done.  Celebrating means asking how I will continue to use the talents and God-given opportunities to make a significant difference in our world. 

I recalled this Marian Feast, but you gather in the last three months of the Jubilee proclaimed by the late Pope Francis.  Some of his sentiments apply well to the tasks you face.  “Let us even now be drawn to this hope! Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it. May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words: ‘Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart and hope in the Lord!’ (Ps 27:14). May the power of hope fill our days, as we await with confidence the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and glory, now and forever.”[4]  

Thank you for your kind attention.  May the all-powerful Lord bring success to your endeavors for all peoples.

 

[1] Quran 3:47; 66:12.

[2] Cf. Charter of the UN.

[3] St. Paul VI, Address to the General Assembly of the UN 4.X.65.

[4] Pope Francis, Spes Non Confundit, 9.V.24.