Pope John Paul II Visits United Nations

His Holiness Pope John Paul II visited the United Nations today, at the invitation of Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, and addressed the General Assembly at noon. During his stay at the UN, the Pope met high Government leaders attending the General Assembly session. He gave a separate address to the staff of the UN Secretariat and spoke briefly to representatives of the press and of non-governmental organizations, as well as UN delegates and dignitaries. He was greeted by a group of children from the International School, marking the International Year of the Child, and attended a reception given in his honour by the Secretary-General before leaving UN Headquarters. The visit of His Holiness is the second Papal visit to the UN. The late Pope Paul VI visited the UN on 4 October 1965, at the invitation of U Thant, then Secretary-General.
Pope John Paul II presenting Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim with a silver plaque depicting the Crucifixion. The plaque, which is mounted on birdseye maple, was done by a well-known Italian artist, Lello Scorzelli.