POPE TO FRENCH PRESIDENT: ‘PERSEVERE WITH COURAGE…’

Pope Benedict XVI wrote to the newly sworn-in President of France, Francois Hollande. In his telegram, the Holy Father expresses the hope that France continue to be, “a factor of peace and solidarity in the active search for the common good, respect for life and the dignity of every person and all peoples,” in Europe and the international community.

The Pope prays also that the French President may, with the help of God and, “respecting the noble spiritual and moral traditions of the country, persevere with courage toward the achievement of the tasks of building a more just and fraternal society, open to the world and in solidarity with the poorest nations.”