United Nations 'has no power,' Pope Francis says
Pope Francis clarified he did not
mean to offend UN leaders, adding that the organization has helped
before in places such as Cyprus.
Pope Francis
spoke to Argentina's national news agency, Télam, in a longform
interview. The questions and discussion were conducted in Pope Francis's
native language, Spanish.
The pontiff fielded questions on a variety of topics including climate change, the pandemic, poverty and his own decade of the papacy.
At
one point in the interview, Pope Francis was asked about the endurance
and longevity of "multilateral organizations" — and whether they are
able to affect peace. Notably, the pontiff spoke about the role of the United Nations and dismissed the organization as powerless.
"After
World War II, trust was placed in the United Nations. It is not my
intention to offend anybody, I know there are very good people working
there, but at this point, the UN has no power to assert its authority,"
the pope said.
Pope Francis stated that he did not mean to point fingers or offend
anyone with the observation — and that the UN can occasionally offer
meaningful help — but ultimately the charter of the UN does not allow it
to be of much use.
He continued, "It does help to prevent wars,
and I’m thinking of Cyprus, where Argentine troops are collaborating.
But in order to stop a war, to resolve a conflict like the one we are
seeing in Europe right now or like others around the world, it has no
power. I don’t mean to offend. It is just that its constitution does not
give the organization that kind of power."
In a meeting with over a dozen Catholic bishops visiting the Vatican from Brazil,
Pope Francis discussed his health and plans for the future of his
reign. The pope told visiting Archbishop Roque Paloschi that resigning
from the Holy See "does not cross his mind," according to the Portuguese
edition of the Vatican's official news service.
However,
the pope did not feign great health, reportedly telling the bishops
that he was facing many challenges, but that he wished to live the life
God gave him until the end.
