Secretary-General Asks Pope Francis to ‘Grace and Bless’ United Nations Staff — ‘Heart and Soul’ of Organization

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the meeting of United Nations staff with His Holiness Pope Francis, in New York today:

Bienvenidos a las Naciones Unidas!  Muchas gracias.

I will be very brief.

Your Holiness, I may be the one behind the microphone and in this spotlight, but it is the staff of the United Nations who are working day and night, with a strong commitment.  I really appreciate [them] and I hope you will grace them and bless them so that they can continue to work, upholding the Charter of the United Nations for world peace, development and human rights.

Thank you for taking the time to meet with them — because they are the heart and soul of our work.

Regardless of faith, we draw inspiration from your humility and humanity — and from your global call for action on social justice, climate change and ensuring a life of dignity for all.

Let me just say, your Holiness: Thank you for your spiritual guidance and blessings and love for humanity. Thank you. Gracias. Merci. Shukran. Xie xie. Spasibo.  Thank you.