‘Let’s unite to fight conflict & poverty’
Pope and President urge world leaders to act
PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins and Pope Francis yesterday urged world leaders to tackle global challenges. The heads of State met in the Vatican where they discussed migration, climate change, sustainable development, the failure to stop ever-increasing threats of conflict and poverty. UK Prime Minister Theresa May is to join US President Donald Trump, French president Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan at the G7 summit in Sicily this week. The Pope and Mr Higgins called on them to recognise the urgency of worldwide issues and “craft new and effective responses to global challenges”. The President’s spokesman said: “In particular, they agreed on the need to turn commitments on which the public had placed their trust into outcomes and action.” He added they also agreed there can be no resolutions without an alternative to “the globalisation of indifference”, a phrase used by the pontiff to describe the handling of the refugee crisis. Later, in a speech at the Pontifical Irish College, President Higgins said they had discussed Brexit and it was important to face up to the problems it poses. He added: “As with the great task of building peace and reconcilliation in Northern Ireland, there are those who say the challenges facing Europe are too deep and complex to solve. “And, as with Northern Ireland, it is important we do not evade difficulties, that we face them in a spirit of truth and honesty while keeping our eyes firmly set on the ideal and the greater human values guiding our actions.” The President said he and the Pope also discussed the “urgent and wider task of building new paths of hope and renewal for European citizens”. And he paid tribute to the Church leader describing him as an “indispensable voice of humanity and clarity”. Mr Higgins added: “He has been a voice for those most vulnerable – calling for housing for the homeless, land for the landless and the native peoples, dignified employment for those excluded from the labour market, and the fundamental right that all of them have to question ‘macro-relations’ of power and inequality.” He said many people will be “inspired, strengthened and challenged” by the pontiff ’s visit to Ireland next year.
He has been a voice for those most vulnerable.. a voice of humanity PRESIDENT HIGGINS ROME YESTERDAY