Pope Francis will meet with ambassadors accredited to the Holy See on Monday, Feb. 8. This annual meeting is where the pope exchanges New Year's greetings with the diplomats.
The pope also takes the opportunity to reflect on the current global situation. For instance, last year he noted that diplomatic tensions between Iran and the United States were rising significantly.
POPE FRANCIS
“[It risks] setting the groundwork for a vaster conflict that all of us would want to avert. I therefore renew my appeal that all the interested parties avoid an escalation of the conflict and 'keep alive the flame of dialogue and self-restraint,' in full respect of international law.”
The meeting was originally scheduled for Jan. 25, but the pope's sciatica forced him to cancel some events. The Holy See maintains diplomatic ties with 183 states. Of those, 88 have an embassy in Rome.
Javier Romero
Translation: CT
