On October 13, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States (OAS) in addition to serving as the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention before the OAS in Washington, DC, on “The Encounter of Two Worlds,” reflecting on the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the American Hemisphere.  

In his statement, Archbishop Auza described Pope Francis’ thoughts on the culture of “encounter” and how that culture is needed today in a world ravaged by violence, migration crises, drug and human trafficking, border disputes, extreme poverty, and other forms of human suffering. He mentioned that the first encounter between the “Old and New Worlds” has been overall a mutual enrichment and that everyone should be inspired by the lives of those heroes, from the Old and New Worlds, who placed fraternal service and encounter above subjugation and domination. He stated that the Holy See believes the OAS can make a difference to benefit the American Hemisphere through fostering dialogue among countries with unresolved disputes and strengthening the institutional capacities of Member states with fragile institutions.

Read his statement, delivered in Spanish,  or the official English translation.