Archbishop Gabriele Giordano
Caccia has been appointed
as the new Permanent Ob-
server of the Holy See to the
United Nations in New York. (Credit:
Photo courtesy of the Holy Mission to
the UN.)
In his first public event since arriving
as the new papal ambassador to the
United Nations, Archbishop Gabriele
Giordano Caccia said Pope Francis
believes the multilateral organization re-
mains a “much-needed…global forum
for facing global problems.”
At a welcome Mass on Tuesday,
Caccia mentioned that this year marks
the 75thanniversary of the founding of
the U.N., recalling that the institution
was established in the aftermath of the
atrocities of World War II.
“Never Again,” he pleaded in reference
to those events, calling on U.N. leaders
to “go back” to the principles that led to
its founding.
During his fifteen-minute homily, the
Italian archbishop said that the task of
those who work at the United Nations
was to help those who do not have a
voice, particularly through the promo-
tion of human dignity.
“We work gladly with this institution
trying to bring a contribution for the
good of the world,” Caccia said, saying
that the U.N. has changed and may
continue to do so, but assuring attendees
that Francis supports its work.
Francis addressed the members in
2015, and while he has repeatedly hailed
the institution for its global peacebuild-
ing efforts – and in recent years allied
with global leaders to push for greater
ecological attention – on several occa-
sions within the past year he has raised
concerns about the Security Council
where one country can manage to veto a
resolution and buck emerging consen-
sus on an issue.
Last November, en route to Rome
from Japan where he called for the
global abolition of nuclear weapons,
Francis told reporters that “if there
is a problem with armaments and
everyone agrees to solve the problem
to avoid a conflict, everyone votes
‘yes.’ One country with the right of
veto votes ‘no,’ and everything stops.”
During his visit to the Vatican in
December, the U.N. Secretary Gener-
al met with Francis, and in an inter-
view afterwards expressed support for
the reform of the Security Council.
“I fully agree with Kofi Annan when
he said that there will be no complete
reform of the United Nations without
reform of the Security Council. The
present Council still reflects the world
of 1945,” he said at the time. “That
being said, the U.N. Charter is clear:
it is up to Member States to deter-
mine how the Security Council will
be reformed, and I hope that they will
do so.”
Reflecting on the Gospel passage
of Mark where Jesus challenges the
crowd to consider “who are my moth-
er and my brothers?” Caccia told the
crowd full of diplomats and govern-
ment officials that “Jesus brings us to
consider the other in a different way.
Maybe when we go deeper, we find
new relations.”
In an organization, such as the U.N.,
which depends on partnerships and
strong relations for its diplomatic
work, Caccia encouraged attendees
to focus on “the other” rather than
merely one’s own interests.
The Mass was concelebrated by over
a dozen priests and Maronite Bishop
Gregory Mansour and took place at
New York’s Church of the Holy Fam-
ily, the Catholic parish church to the
United Nations.
In honor of the occasion, Caccia
used a chalice that was presented to
the parish by Pope St. Paul VI when
he visited the church during his Octo-
ber 1965 trip to the United Nations.
Caccia arrived at his post earlier
this month, following the Vatican
announcement of his appointment in
November. He presented his creden-
tials earlier in the day on Tuesday
to U.N. Secretary General Antonio
Guterres.
He succeeds Filipino-born Arch-
bishop Bernardito Auza who held the
post from 2014 to 2019, and is now
the nuncio to Spain and the Princi-
pality of Andorra.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“All past persecutors of the Church
are now no more, but the Church still
lives on. The same fate awaits modern
persecutors; they, too, will pass on,
but the Church of Jesus Christ will
always remain, for God has pledged
His Word to protect Her and be with
Her forever, until the end of time.”
-St. John Bosco
