Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday urged world leaders to work together for "lasting, sustainable and just" solutions to the global economic crisis, on the eve of the G20 summit in South Korea.
Writing in Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican daily, the pope said the leaders of 20 of the world's leading economies should respect "human dignity" and avoid policies that favour some countries over others.
"The world is watching you," read the headline of the pope's message.
"The Catholic Church... regards herself as involved and shares the concerns of the leaders who will take part in the Seoul summit," he said.
"I therefore encourage you to tackle the numerous serious problems facing you ... to seek lasting, sustainable and just solutions," he added.
He also called for world leaders to demonstrate that "civilizations and cultures ... can and must converge in a shared vision of human dignity, which respects the laws and requirements placed in it by God the Creator."
"The G20 will respond to the expectations placed in it... if it is able to set out the characteristics of the universal common good and demonstrate its willingness to cooperate in order to attain it."