Food for thought for all

The address of Pope Francis to the General Assembly is a watershed moment for the 70th anniversary of the United Nations and sets an example to religious leaders everywhere. Sometimes a speech can change the world. In 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru's "Tryst with Destiny" speech, on the occasion of India’s independence on August 15, 1947 redefined notions of freedom and became emblematic of the post-colonial struggle around the globe.

Echoing his South Asian counterpart, then Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal in a speech in 1956, provoking a global confrontation with enormous geopolitical ramifications for the Middle East. Seven years later, Martin Luther King shared his "I had a dream" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, a hallmark of the civil rights movement and one of the most quoted speeches in history.

Each speech had its context but they are alike in paradigmatic significance and in their ability to spark an introspective reassessment of our humanity. On September 25, 2015, Pope Francis' address to the United Nations set an example to all religious leaders on their role and responsibility at a time when the world - and humanity altogether - seems very much adrift.

Indeed, by addressing everything from climate change, economic development and income inequality, he has positioned himself not just as a religious leader but a conscientious, engaged - even progressive - global thinker. In that sense, the Pope is an unexpected messenger of some very significant messages. For a representative of 1.2 billion Catholics (from a total of 2.2 billion Christians), his message served as an important rebuttal against the perception that religion is a driver of conflict.

Indeed, religion today is being defined by televised beheadings, the ransacking of Parisien synagogues and sword-wielding Buddhist lynch mobs. To hear the Pope speak of the “common home of all men and women”, “universal fraternity” and the “sacredness of created nature” serves as a useful and refreshing reminder of the essence of religion, especially given its powerful use (and misuse) in politics and international affairs.

In the Pope's words, the "selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity" has led to both the "misuse of available resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged.” In referencing the dangers of exclusion, the Pope has touched on a nuance that the multilateral system is guilty of shying away from: in UN terminology, this is the so-called "root causes" debate.

Following his appearance at the UN, the Pope participated in an interfaith gathering at the 9/11 memorial. While this was indeed a display of communal harmony and pluralism, it was equally a cri de couer against religious extremism and, as he called it in his address, "falsely universalistic ideologies". The Pope is undoubtedly setting an example among leaders within other faiths and denominations.

The question that remains however is who among 1.6 billion Muslims, 1 billion Hindus and hundreds of million Buddhists can play a similar role? Who is that emblematic figure who can go beyond representing a major faith and provide a message that is as bold, persuasive and universal? Sometimes a speech can change the world. The responsibility to enact that change however rests not with the speaker alone but with our ability to reflect on the wording, internalise its lessons and take action in whatever way we can. On its 70th anniversary, the Pope has given the United Nations some serious food for thought.

By Hardeep S Puri & Omar El Okdah