(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed René Brülhart as the new President of the Financial Information Authority. He is the first layperson to hold the job. Brülhart has served as the Director of the FIA since 2012. The FIA was established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and is the competent authority of the Holy See and the Vatican City State for dealing financial intelligence and supervision. It oversees efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and supervises all entities carrying out professionally financial activities at the Vatican. Under Brülhart’s directorship, the FIA has signed agreements with the financial intelligence units of several countries, including the U.S.A, Germany, and Italy. Cardinal Attilio Nicora served as the first President of the Authority until January of this year, when Bishop Giorgio Corbellini took over as interim-president.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed René Brülhart as the new President of the Financial Information Authority. He is the first layperson to hold the job. Brülhart has served as the Director of the FIA since 2012. The FIA was established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and is the competent authority of the…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will on Thursday pay a visit to the Headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation here in Rome on the occasion of the Second International Conference on Nutrition.
The three day gathering which began on Wednesday brings together senior national policymakers on agriculture and health along with leaders of United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations and civil society.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Boitshepo Giyose a senior food and nutrition security adviser for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Secretariat.
The aim of the meeting is to review progress made towards improving nutrition since 1992, reflect on nutrition problems that remain, and identify policy options for improving nutrition.
Although the conference will have a global perspective, it will focus particularly on nutrition challenges in developing countries.
Attending the event is Boitshepo Giyose a senior food and nutrition security adviser for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Secretariat, (NEPAD) South Africa. She to Vatican Radio of her hopes for the conference. “It is not just another conference really it is a call to action for all actors, for all governments , for the global economy, for the global players to pull together, work in tandem, work in harmony to ensure a common goal of reducing hunger and malnutrition, assuring that the post 2015 Agenda are acted on.”
In the past Pope Francis has spoken out against a culture of waste when their are people are starving in the world, saying, “This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition.”
Stressing the importance of the Pope’s voice on the issue of food and nutrition justice Ms Giyose added that, “Pope Francis… in his stature, he is a champion in his own right for food justice, for nutrition justice. We cannot continue to live in a world whereby there’s so much food waste, there is so much wastage…”
Other participants at the conference the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the King of Lesotho.
The meeting runs until the 21 st of November.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will on Thursday pay a visit to the Headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation here in Rome on the occasion of the Second International Conference on Nutrition. The three day gathering which began on Wednesday brings together senior national policymakers on agriculture and health along with leaders of United…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, on Monday opened the Exhibition on “Friar Francis: Traces, words, images” taking place at the UN offices in New York.
It is the first time the manuscripts on Saint Francis, some dating back to the year 1224, have left Italy.
“Bringing to New York these priceless documents has been extremely difficult and costly,” Archbishop Auza said.
“So, why are we doing this? We think it’s worth all the effort, because we believe that the values practiced and preached by Saint Francis are also the fundamental values of the United Nations, namely peace, the harmonious development of peoples in brotherhood and the love for nature. Without these values, we have wars and conflicts, injustices and all forms of slavery, environmental crises and disasters,” he explained.
“Wouldn’t this evening’s event be such a happy occasion, were these precious manuscripts on Saint Francis a harbinger of the visit to the United Nations of him who carries the Saint’s name,” continued Archbishop Auza.
“The Pope chose the name Francis precisely for these Franciscan core values of peace, fraternity of peoples and love for nature,” he said.
Speaking about the announcement that Pope Francis would visit Philadelphia in September 2015 for the World Meeting of Families, he said it was “sending ripples” from the Delaware River to the East River and the Potomac, and the Archbishop acknowledged officials of the United Nations would like the Pope to visit.
“I therefore hope that, with and through the ‘Friar Francis Exhibition: Traces, words, images’, this Francis of Assisi precedes the one who bears his name and spreads his values,” concluded Archbishop Auza.
(from Vatican Radio)…