‘Dialogue culture’ key to peace

In his first New Year’s address to foreign ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis has denounced a long list of “threats to peace”, including wars raging in various parts of the world and a “throwaway culture” that foments the “horror” of abortion, human trafficking and the “greedy exploitation” of the environment, writes Robert Mickens.

Speaking on Monday, he said that only through a “culture of ­dialogue”, an intensification of diplomacy and of fraternity could peace and justice be achieved. Every denial of human dignity was a threat to peace, he said.

“The scenes of destruction and death which we have witnessed in the past year confirm all this – if ever we needed such confirmation,” he told some 180 envoys in what is commonly called his “state of the world” address. Francis called for “suitable policies aimed at supporting, assisting and strengthening the family”, with special efforts to protect the elderly and to help the young find work.

He hoped next week’s Geneva 2 Conference would “mark the beginning of the desired peace process” in Syria.