United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Friday thanked Pope Francis for his "spirituality and love of humanity" as he welcomed him to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
"Thank you for your spirituality and your love of humanity," Ban told Francis, adding that he was "an inspiration" for UN workers.
He thanked the pontiff for taking time to meet UN staff members, who he said worked "day and night for peace in the world and to safeguard human rights".
"Behind the scenes your daily efforts make possible many of the diplomatic culture, economic, and political initiatives of the United Nations which are so important for meeting the hopes and expectations of the people," Francis told the UN workers.
Hinting that the UN had held a lottery to decide which workers got to greet him, Francis told those present he was sorry for the friends and family who could not be there "because of the lottery".
At the end of his address, the UN staffers applauded him with a shout of “viva Papa!”
Francis was due to address the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday - the third day of his five-day trip to the United States.
It is the fifth visit by a pope to the UN, after Paul VI (1965), John Paul II (1979 and 1995) and Benedict XVI (2008).
