Pope says won't be 'bystander' to human rights abuses

VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV told new ambassadors to the Holy See on Saturday that the Vatican would not be a "silent bystander" to human rights abuses around the world.

The comments are one of the clearest yet in revealing the philosophy of the US pope, who was elected head of the world's Catholics in May following the death of Pope Francis.

"I wish to reaffirm that the Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices and fundamental human rights violations in our global community, which is increasingly more fractured and conflict-prone," he told the group of 13 ambassadors.

The Holy See is the governing body of the Church led by the pope, who has spiritual authority over 1.4 billion Catholics.

The diplomacy of the Holy See, the pontiff said, was "consistently directed toward serving the good of humanity, especially by appealing to consciences and by remaining attentive to the voices of those who are poor, in vulnerable situations or pushed to the margins of society".

With his focus on inequality, Leo is building on the priorities of his predecessor Francis, who championed the rights of migrants and other vulnerable populations during his pontificate.

Leo -- who spent nearly 20 years as a missionary in Peru -- has spoken up against the treatment of migrants in the United States under President Donald Trump, last month calling it "extremely disrespectful".

The new ambassadors accredited on Saturday, and welcomed with an audience within the Vatican, were from Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Liberia, Thailand, Lesotho, South Africa, Fiji, Micronesia, Latvia and Finland.