Pope Benedict Greets New Ambassador From Gabon

(26 Jun 08 - RV) Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday greeted Ambassador from Gabon. We have this report...
Pope Benedict on Thursday said it was the duty of all those in authority to work for peace in the world.

The Holy Father was speaking to Firmin Mboutsou, the new ambassador from Gabon. Gabon, located in West Africa, has a population of nearly 1 ½ million people, of whom over half are Catholic. It became independent from France in 1960.

It has the highest rating of any sub-Saharan African country on the Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, literacy, educational attainment, and GDP per capita for countries worldwide.

Pope Benedict praised the nations leaders for its accomplishments, but invited them to be more involved in making the entire world more peaceful, as well as building international fraternity in a more united world.

He also spoke about the extensive work the church and catholic religious organizations perform in Gabon. He said he hoped to widen the cooperation between the country and the Holy See.

He specifically mentioned the fields of health care and education. He said he hopes the government will fully recognize and support the work the Church provides in these fields.

The Pope concluded his remarks by pointing out that the future of the nations of the world cannot be linked to purely economic questions, which can be the source of many conflicts. He urged the better protection of the planet, which will allow future generations to inherit a liveable earth.