Europe28 September, 20263 min read
Pope Leo XIV Urges Europe To Draw Christian Roots, Reject Domination At Metz
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Europe must draw from Christian roots and dialogue to counter domination driving wars. Pope urged peace and unity in Europe through compromise and interreligious dialogue.
42 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Russian Drones Enter NATO Airspace, NATO Jets Scramble Across Romania, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France →
Metz Call for Peace
Pope Leo XIV ended his four-day visit to France in Metz, where he urged Europe to draw from its Christian roots and traditions of dialogue to blunt the “desire for domination” driving today’s wars. Pope Leo XIV said, “Over the past 80 years, Europe has amply demonstrated that it is possible to articulate divergent opinions, claims and interests through encounter rather than conflict,” as he wrapped up the trip at a conference center named for Robert Schuman. Emmanuel Macron warned in Metz that “War has returned to our continent,” and he said Europe was “shaken by the return of empires” 75 years after the Schuman Declaration.
Pope Leo XIV also told European leaders that “We need to commit ourselves to patient dialogue, to show courage in negotiation and to be willing to give up some positions for the greater good of peace,” as he framed the continent’s integration as a foundation for peace. The Pope’s remarks in Metz tied Schuman’s post-World War II model to contemporary conflicts, with the AP describing the appeal as a response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and other conflicts.
Dialogue, Lies, and Unity
Pope Leo XIV warned that “Relations between individuals and states are becoming increasingly uncivilised,” and he said “The value of keeping one's word is dismissed; instead, people boast more of lies and deceit.” Pope Leo XIV said, “Europe can end this spiral by respecting the other that it has learned to cultivate and preserve,” and he praised “international law and multilateralism” as the “best antidote to the will to domination.” Emmanuel Macron told the Metz gathering that peace “is built slowly by artisans of goodwill, lucid and constant,” and he said France’s support for Ukraine fit that approach.
Pope Leo XIV urged leaders to “sacrifice certain positions for the greater good of peace,” and he described “a new unnecessary massacre that daily claims countless civilian victims.” The meeting “At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity” took place at the Robert-Schuman Convention Center in Metz, where the Pope and Macron spoke on the fourth and final day of the visit.
What Europe Must Do Next
Pope Leo XIV urged Europe to “persistently maintain a demanding dialogue among us, even in adversity, to work for justice and peace,” while he delivered the “Metz Call” at an interreligious gathering at the Robert Schuman Center. El Mundo said the Pope warned, “To invoke the name of God to legitimize violence or oppression is a desecration of that name,” as he linked his peace appeal to religious responsibility. The “Metz Appeal” was presented alongside France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia, the Grand Imam of the Paris Grand Mosque, Chems Eddine Hafiz, and the Archbishop of Marseille, Jean-Marc Aveline, according to El Mundo.
El Mundo reported that the joint declaration calls for “the responsibility of religions in building peace,” and it says peace “requires justice, respect for human dignity, solidarity among peoples and generations, and protection of the environment.” El Mundo also reported that the declaration condemns “discrimination and acts of hatred” and includes an explicit condemnation of “totalitarianism,” placing the Pope’s Europe message in a broader stakes framework.