Leo XIV: Courage is needed in negotiations
Pope Leo XIV called on European countries to comply with the norms of international law, and to support dialogue and multilateral cooperation. He emphasized the need to show courage in negotiations and to be ready to give up certain positions in order to achieve peace.
Leo XIV: Courage is needed in negotiations
According to DW, as the pontiff concluded his four-day visit to France on September 28, he warned in the city of Metz about the growing cruelty in the world.
"Today, relations between people and between states are becoming increasingly brutal," he said at a meeting titled "At the Dawn of Europe - Towards Peace and Unity."
According to Leo XIV, Europe can halt the deepening decline in politics through the principle of respect for the human being, which it has managed to shape and preserve.
The city of Metz is closely linked to the name of Robert Schuman, one of the founders of European integration.
The Pope recalled that Schuman envisioned Europe as a continent built on respect for international law, preferring dialogue over armed conflicts.
According to the epd agency, the Catholic Church is carrying out the process of beatification - declaring Schuman blessed. The agency assessed the Pope's speech on Europe as the most important political address of his visit to France.
In his speech, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Leo XIV called on Europeans to work towards establishing peace.
"It is necessary to show courage in negotiations and to be ready to abandon certain positions for the sake of the highest good - peace," the pontiff said.
According to the AFP agency, he did not directly mention the war in Ukraine. However, he expressed regret over the "senseless slaughter that claims the lives of countless civilians every day."
During the visit, Leo XIV met with Emmanuel Macron in Paris and visited the UNESCO headquarters. He also prayed at the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and met with nearly 80,000 young people at the "Stade de France" stadium.
Later, the Pope held a religious service at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Nearly 800,000 people came to welcome the pontiff as he traveled along the Champs-Élysées in a special popemobile.