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
18 killed in central Myanmar airstrike
- Two bombs were dropped on Tabayin township in Sagaing region
- A rescue worker who arrived on the scene 15 minutes after the strike said seven people were killed on the spot
TABAYIN, Myanmar: Eighteen people were killed in an airstrike on a town in central Myanmar, according to a local official, a rescue worker and two residents who spoke to AFP on Saturday.
Myanmar has been rocked by civil war since the military snatched power in a 2021 coup, and its battles with numerous anti-coup fighters have brought frequent airstrikes that often kill civilians.
Two bombs were dropped on Tabayin township in Sagaing region on Friday evening, with one hitting a busy teashop, according to a local administration official.
He told AFP that 18 people were killed and 20 were wounded in the attacks.
“Deaths were high at the teashop as it was crowded time,” he said. All of the sources who spoke to AFP requested anonymity for their protection.
A rescue worker who arrived on the scene 15 minutes after the strike said seven people were killed on the spot and 11 others died later at hospital.
The teashop — a traditional social hub in Myanmar — and around a dozen houses nearby were “totally destroyed,” he said.
A survivor said he was watching a televised boxing match in the teashop when the bomb hit.
“As soon as I heard aircraft fly over, I got my body to the ground,” he said, adding that the sound from the blast was deafening.
“I saw a big fire over my head... I was lucky, I returned home after that.”
A junta spokesman did not answer a call from an AFP reporter.
Funerals for those killed were held on Saturday, with some victims’ faces covered by towels as they had been rendered unrecognizable, a local resident said.
“I feel very sad because I knew some of them very well,” she said.
A junta airstrike in Sagaing in May killed 22 people, including 20 children, despite a purported ceasefire called after a devastating earthquake hit Myanmar.
