"Sixty years ago, on December 10th, the General Assembly of the United Nations, gathered in Paris, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which remains an extremely high landmark in intercultural dialogue on human freedom and rights": it was said tonight in the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI, in his opening address to the people attending the concert of classic music played by the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester of Frankfurt, in front of several authorities, including the President of the Republic of Italy, Napolitano. After mentioning the Cardinal Van Thuan 2008 Award won by Cornelio Sommaruga, one-time president of the International Red Cross Committee, and the "Solidarietà e sviluppo" awards (won by father Pedro Opeka, missionary in Madagascar, father José Raul Matte, missionary among the lepers in the Amazon, the Gulunap Project for the Medical Faculty in Northern Uganda, and ‘Villaggio degli Ercolini’ for Romany children in Rome), the Pope stated that "The dignity of every man is truly guaranteed only when all his fundamental rights are acknowledged, protected and promoted". (continued)
