VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV told new ambassadors to the Holy See on Saturday that the Vatican would not be a “silent bystander” to human rights abuses around the world.
The comments are one of the clearest yet in revealing the philosophy of the US pope, who was elected head of the world’s Catholics in May following the death of Pope Francis.
“I wish to reaffirm that the Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices and fundamental human rights violations in our global community, which is increasingly more fractured and conflict-prone,” he told the group of 13 ambassadors.
The Holy See is the governing body of the Church led by the pope, who has spiritual authority over 1.4 billion Catholics.
The diplomacy of the Holy See, the pontiff said, was “consistently directed toward serving the good of humanity, especially by appealing to consciences and by remaining attentive to the voices of those who are poor, in vulnerable situations or pushed to the margins of society.”
With his focus on inequality, Leo is building on the priorities of his predecessor Francis, who championed the rights of migrants and other vulnerable populations during his pontificate.
Leo — who spent nearly 20 years as a missionary in Peru — has spoken up against the treatment of migrants in the United States under President Donald Trump, last month calling it “extremely disrespectful.”
The new ambassadors accredited on Saturday, and welcomed with an audience within the Vatican, were from Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Liberia, Thailand, Lesotho, South Africa, Fiji, Micronesia, Latvia and Finland.
Pope says won't be 'bystander' to human rights abuses
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Pope says won't be 'bystander' to human rights abuses
- Pope Leo XIV told new ambassadors to the Holy See on Saturday that the Vatican would not be a "silent bystander" to human rights abuses around the world
South Sudan officers face court martial over civilian massacre
- The increasingly unstable country is seeing a surge of fighting between government and opposition forces
JUBA: South Sudanese soldiers, including two officers, will face a court martial over a civilian massacre last month, the army spokesman said Wednesday.
The increasingly unstable country is seeing a surge of fighting between government and opposition forces, much of it in eastern Jonglei state where at least 280,000 people have been displaced since December according to the UN.
At least 25 civilians, including women and children, were killed in Ayod County in Jonglei state on February 21, according to the opposition.
Army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said that two officers, including a major, and several non-commissioned officers, had been arrested and would face charges in the capital Juba, “before they are arraigned before a competent military court martial.”
He said the deaths were attributed to “some elements” under Gen. Johnson Olony, who was filmed in January ordering troops to “spare no lives” in Jonglei.
Koang said the soldiers had “moved out without the knowledge or authorization of the division commander.”
He also said they had been part of a militia group allied to opposition forces, parts of which had not yet been fully integrated into the army.
Military integration was among the core principles of a peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar, but it was never implemented.
Koang said the army regretted the loss of lives, adding: “We would like to once again remind our forces that their mandate is to protect civilians and their property, not to do the opposite.”
It followed an impassioned plea from the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference on recent civilian killings — in Ayod, and also in Abiemnom County near the Sudan border where at least 169 people were killed on Sunday.
“We implore you to deploy resources to protect vulnerable populations and foster a climate of dialogue and reconciliation instead of violence and revenge, consoling the bereaved and supporting the afflicted,” it said in a statement.
