Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said in a statement for a recent UN meeting that “development cannot be comprehended exclusively in economic terms; it must also foster the cultural and spiritual development of all people.”
“Integral development is therefore the overarching metric against which the collective efforts of the international community should be measured,” Archbishop Caccia said.
In his statement, the prelate also emphasized the “moral imperative for the eradication of poverty,” praised multilateralism as “the sole viable avenue for progress” in development, and lamented rising military expenses.