Pope Francis Holds Private Audience with WHO Chief

In a significant meeting of two prominent global figures, Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, held a private audience with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), at the Vatican on July 24, 2023. The Holy See's press office made the announcement, but no further details about the meeting were disclosed, and both the Vatican and WHO did not respond to requests for comments before the publication.

Photo credit: Asad Photo Maldives

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
7/24/2023 (1 year ago)

Published in Europe

Keywords: Pope Francis, WHO, health, world, private, audience

This wasn't the first time the Pope and Dr. Tedros had come together. They previously met during a Vatican gathering in 2018 when Dr. Tedros, an Ethiopian public health official and Orthodox Christian, assumed the leadership of WHO in 2017.

One of the central areas of focus for the WHO under Dr. Tedros' tenure has been the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had been a global concern for the past three years. During his leadership, WHO managed to secure an impressive 2 billion vaccine doses for distribution in 2021, contributing significantly to the global vaccination efforts. However, in May 2022, Dr. Tedros stated that the "zero-COVID" strategy, involving substantial government intervention to halt the spread of the virus, was no longer viable. And then in May 2023, WHO officially declared that COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency.

In solidarity with WHO's efforts, the Holy See had previously donated to the organization's emergency fund aimed at supporting frontline medics battling the COVID-19 pandemic back in May 2020.

Nonetheless, under Dr. Tedros' leadership, WHO has faced criticism from Catholic organizations and others for its stance on certain issues. The organization's abortion guidance has been accused of undermining conscience objections, and it sparked controversy. Additionally, in 2018, WHO changed its description of transgenderism, no longer classifying the experience of identifying one's gender differently from their biological sex as a mental health disorder. This shift followed a similar move made by the American Psychiatric Association six years prior.

Dr. Tedros' background is noteworthy, having previously held prominent positions in Ethiopia, including serving as both the head of health and foreign relations. His election as WHO's Director-General was backed by the African Union, and during his six-year tenure, he has prioritized universal health coverage and addressing viral outbreaks, emphasizing the need for global health security.

The meeting between Pope Francis and Dr. Tedros holds significance due to their shared commitment to global health and humanitarian efforts. While details of their conversation remain private, their shared dedication to tackling pressing health issues and advancing public welfare leaves a hopeful prospect for further collaboration between the Vatican and WHO in the future.