Pope's visit to United Nations 'eagerly awaited,' says Vatican nuncio

Published: 2008-02-19

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's April 18 visit to the United Nations "is eagerly awaited because the pope is seen as a moral authority offering clear guidance on the foundational values of life and of human society," said the Vatican's U.N. ambassador. "In this sense the pope is considered an authority able to interpret and rally political will to work for the good of the international community," said Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the ambassador, or nuncio. The archbishop spoke to Catholic News Service at the headquarters of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See in New York and provided written answers to questions submitted in advance. Pope Benedict will address the U.N. General Assembly the morning of April 18, after a brief flight from Washington, where he arrives April 15. He returns to Rome the evening of April 20. Asked how U.N. member nations regard the Catholic Church, Archbishop Migliore said they respect the church's "contribution to keep alive, nurture and refresh the dimension of spirituality and transcendence, without which our society would fall apart."

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