Visit of Pope Paul V11965 - Press Releases, Clippings, Documents
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UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Pa3e $2 Date 08/06/2006 Time 11:11:55 AM S-0864-0009-16-00001 Expanded Number S-0864-0009-16-00001 Title items-in-Public relations files - visit of Pope Paul V11965 - press releases, clippings, documents Date Created 21/09/1965 Record Type Archival Item Container s-0864-0009: Public Relations Files of the Secretary-General: U Thant Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit <j NEW INITIATIVES Pope Paul VIfs visit to the United Nations set a precedent that should permit new initiatives "by. the Secretariat to confront narrow political and military thinking with the moral approaches of religious leaders to problems of attaining and maintaining peace. When the Pope endorsed the UN as "the world's best hope"; when he called for world disarmament, beginning with nuclear disarmament; and when he urged the admission of other nations to the UN, he not only put one of the world's great churches behind the efforts of the UN, but he also challenged those of his own faith and of other faiths to work for peace. The precdent of the papal visit raises a question: Should a Consultative Assembly of World Religious Leaders be convened to consult and advise with the Sec- retary-General on the steps needed for achieving and maintaining world peace? Is there any other group of supra-national institutions whose primary motive and objective is world peasze? Is there any other group of organizations whose declared motive and object is the moral order and the achievemtn of brotherhood among men and nations? Are these not the groups that must be mobilized to offset all other organizations and institutions that seek to settle disputes by military force? The religious leaders of the world should be afforded the opportunity of confronting the military leaders of the world with a united will and moral demand for peaceful settlement of all current areas of widening combat. To this end, it is suggested that the Secretary- General issue a Call for a Consultative Assembly of Religious Leaders to convene in the hall of the General Assembly of the UN the last week of November, 1966. [It is suggested that the session be "closed" both to heighten interest in what transpires and to avoid any embarrassment to delegates or delegations that might arise from any possible debate. At the same time, it should be stressed that all delegates are free to issue their own separate statements to press and public. At the conclusion of the session, the Secretary-General would prepare a report on the suggestions of the religious leaders for presentation to the General Assembly.] The Call for the Consultative Assembly should be addressed to leaders of major churches asking their attendance or the attendance of duly deputized delegates, [It is recognized that few of the major churches have the same easy-t©-recognize leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, yet there are great international church bodies whose leadership can be invited , e.g. World Council of Churches; international sects with spokesmen, official or unofficial, whose stature of leadership is generally recognized; and individual theologians of various faiths whose reputations transcend national and even organizational boundaries. It should be emphasized in the careful phrasing of the Call that the assembly is being convened to advise and consult, not to legislate and vote; that it is predicated on the need to emphasize the power of morals and ideas and faith and is not a political entity, hence the size of delegations will not reflect the relative size of the bodies of adherents to the different faiths.] While the list of recipients for the Call should be prepared with care and inquiet consultation with recognized leaders of major faiths, the Secretary-General should make the final determination of those to be invited. The size of the body to be convened should be limited to the capacity of the hall of the General Assembly. [Among the major religions which should be represented:;are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants - possibly through the World Council, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and leaders of Methodists, Lutherans, Presby- terians, et al — Moslems, Buddhists, Shintoists, Jews, Hindus, Taoists, Confucians, et al.] Thesessions should last from 3 to 7 days. In issuing the Call, the Secretary-General would invite the leaders to submit in writing, prior to the assembly, and specific proposals or statements on the subject of peace and such specifics as Viet Nam, as they desire. The originators of such documents would be free to circulate and publicize them in advance or to hold them for the Assembly itself. It would be hoped that certain of the religious leaders would propose to the Consulatative Assembly and to the Secretary^General for submission to the General Assembly specific steps for the peaceful solution of the Viet Nam War. If the Consultative Assembly agrees on one, two, or three spokesmen, the Secretary-General, following the precedent of Pope Paul's address, would invite them to address the General Assembly. 1. In cooperation with certain important, peace-minded officials of the National Council of Churches, a suitable list of Protestant world leaders could be assembled for the Secretary-General; likewise, it should not be tooa difficult to obtain the names of world Jewish leaders (preferably not roo ardently Zionist) for the invitation list. 2. The invitation to the Roman Catholic Church would, of course, be sent to the Pope or the Vatican's secretary of state. 3. Consultation with other professionals should provide the proper list for the Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, et al groups. We believe that the device of the consultative assembly can greatly enhance the prestige and power of the office of the Secretary-General. Certainly, by beginning with religious leaders, it would make it difficult for any nation or group to attack the meeting. If successful, other assemblies could be called of social scientists, physical scientists, etc. in cooperation with or separate and apart from the bureaucracies of the affiliated UN organizations (UNESCO, et al). UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT »$S^F ST/ADM/SER.A/^ ^ife^iir 23 November 1965 INFORMATION CIRCULAR To; Members of the Staff From: The Director of Personnel Subject: DISTRIBUTION OF COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS OF THE VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE PAUL VI 1. During his address to the Staff on Monday, 4 October 1965., by His Holiness Pope Paul VI, it was announced that commemorative medals would be distributed to members of the Secretariat. 2. Arrangements have now been completed for the distribution of these medals to all staff members at Headquarters, as listed in the 19^5 report of the Secretary-General on the Staff of the Secretariat prepared for the General Assembly, and to all staff members of UNICEF, TAB and the Special Fund who hold appointments of six months or more. 3. Distribution of the medals will take place on l6 December 1965 through the Executive Officers or Administrative Officers attached to each Department. 65-30053 VOLUME XX No. 17 United Nations Headquarters, New York 15 October 1965 The Visit of His Holiness Pope Paul VI It was clear and windy on the fourth of October. There was quiet excitement through- out the City, its streets looking wide and clean, empty of traffic, and a mood of exhileration in this house. The hopes of many of us - widely differing hopes, seldom expressed - seemed to rise on the day Pope Paul VI visited the United Nations, watched by all the world. Early that morning the Secretary-General was at Kennedy Airport to board the Papal air- craft and meet the Pope who was afterwards welcomed by Mr. Amintore Fanfani, President of the General Assembly; Dean Rusk, United States Secretary of State; Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York State; Robert F. Wagner, Mayor of the City, and Francis Cardinal Spell- man. The large party which accompanied Pope Paul from Rome included Pier Pasquale Spi- ne Hi, Director of the United Nations European Office. Many people gathered quietly in the General Assembly lobby during the afternoon, and at a quarter past three the Pope entered between the bronze doors, smiling and serene. Because of the cold wind he wore a scarlet cloak over his white cassock. He was escorted by Pierre de Meule- meester, Chief of Protocol, and accompanied by nine Cardinals, Princes of the Roman Catholic Church, and by the Permanent Observer of the Holy See. U Thant welcomed him again. After a few minutes together in the Meditation Room, Pope Paul and the Secretary-General walked up the curving staircase to the General Assembly where the Pope was received by Mr. Fanfani. Warm applause greeted him; he was escorted to the podium, and the 1347th plenary meeting began. The President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General made welcoming statements. U Thant recalled how Pope Paul had come to make this journey across the sea to the United Nations and said: "The historic occasion has now arrived. It is taking place at a time when there is a re- newal of confidence in our Organization. It is a time, also, of grave dangers to the peace of the world. In adding my words of welcome to those of the President of the General Assembly, and in expressing my deep gratitude to His Holiness, I do so in the conviction that all of us who work for the purposes of the United Nations will draw from his presence here, now and long afterwards, in- spiration for our continued struggle to attain those goals of peace and human well-being which are also the goals His Holiness so devotedly believes to be within our reach.