Pope urges 'multilateral consensus' at U.N.

NEW YORK -- Pope Benedict XVI today extolled the virtues of diplomacy, and not "the decisions of a few," for resolving conflicts and said human rights for "all times and all peoples" had to be based on unchanging justice and not the legal whims of the day.

Speaking at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly, the pope also called for religious freedom as a universal right.

Benedict flew here this morning after wrapping up three days of meetings, masses and speeches in Washington, where the recurring theme was the church crisis brought on by pedophile priests.

"Your Holiness, welcome to our common home," Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon said in his opening remarks.

Benedict called the organization's work vital, but he questioned how power was concentrated in just a handful of nations.

"This is all the more necessary at a time when we experience the obvious paradox of multilateral consensus that continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decision of a few whereas the world's problems call for interventions in the form of collective action by the international community," he said.

Benedict, who this week celebrated his 81st birthday during his first papal visit to the United States, arrived from Washington where he held a private meeting with victims of clerical sexual abuse, a scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church.

The pontiff arrived about 9:40 a.m. EDT in New York and was greeted by an assortment of top-ranking church leaders as well as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. From the airport, he was whisked away to Manhattan by helicopter, and then to the U.N. for the speech.

The visit to the United Nations, with the address to the General Assembly, was the original purpose of the papal visit. It gave Benedict a chance to use the world stage to discuss issues that he did not publicly address in Washington.

Benedict sounded the themes for which he is known: concern for human rights.

"The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and increasing security," the pope said.

"Indeed the victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence and they can then become violators of peace," he said.

Benedict also condemned the plight of the less developed parts of the world, where poverty and disease are frequent plagues.