Pope receives new ambassadors of Colombia, El Salvador

(October 18, 2010) The Church does not seek any privilege, but only aspires to serve its faithful and all those who open their doors and hearts to her with open arms. Pope Benedict XVI made this point on Monday while receiving Colombia’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Cesar Mauricio Velasquez Ossa. At a formal ceremony in the Vatican, the Pope referred to the Church’s numerous social works in the South American nation, and reiterated the defence and promotion of the inviolable dignity of the human person, for which, he said, it is fundamental that legal acts respect natural law, especially in protecting life from conception to its natural end. He also called for safeguarding a child’s right to be born and live in a family based on the marriage between a man and a woman, and the right of parents to educated their children according to their moral and spiritual convictions. These, the Pope said, are the irreplaceable pillars that help build a society that is truly worthy of man. Pope Benedict also received on Monday another new ambassador to the Holy See - Manuel Roberto Lopez Barrera of El Salvador. In an address to him the Pontiff also highlighted how the Catholic Church in its specific function seeks to freely promote the common good in all its dimensions. He stressed how the Church is helping to eliminate poverty, combat violence, impunity, and drug trafficking that is causing much havoc, especially among young people. Recalling El Salvador’s devastating 10-year civil war that ended in 1992, the Holy Father appealed for lasting reconciliation in the Central American nation, adding that with violence one achieves nothing and everything gets worse, because it is a blind alley, a detestable and inadmissible evil that deludes all. Pope Benedict also spoke to the Salvadoran ambassador about the inviolable dignity of the human person from conception to natural death, the value of the family based the marriage between a man and a woman and the right of parents to choose the children’s education according to their spiritual convictions.