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Pope Leo XIV Urges Europe to Rediscover Christian Heritage for Peace
· Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged Europe to return to its roots, including its Christian heritage, while also engaging with the people from other cultures now living within it, during a visit to Metz, France.
Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged Europe to return to its roots, including its Christian heritage, while also engaging with the people from other cultures now living within it, during a visit to Metz, France.
The Pope emphasized the importance of dialogue and the universal character of Europe’s founding values, stating, “The universal character of Europe’s founding values assures us that this dialogue is possible and that it can provide a solid foundation for our societies, enabling us to work more effectively for peace and a reconciled world,” he said Sept. 28.
Pope Leo XIV highlighted the historical significance of Metz, a city near the Schengen tripoint, noting the contributions of figures like Robert Schuman, who helped lay the foundations of a united Europe.
The Pope also addressed the challenges of modern Europe, including the resurgence of conflicts and the need for dialogue to resolve disagreements. He 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.”
Pope Leo XIV encouraged Europe to understand itself not just geographically but through its history, culture, and traditions. He stated, “We cannot speak of Europe, then, without mentioning Christianity.”
The Pope also emphasized the importance of the Christian monastic tradition in shaping European civilization, saying, “Without this monastic tradition, European civilization as we know it would not exist.”
Pope Leo XIV called on Christians to rediscover a unity rooted in the Holy Trinity and to build relationships of authentic communion, rather than allowing differences to become sources of division.
In his address, Pope Leo XIV also reflected on the role of the Church in the Middle East, encouraging Christians there not to measure the vitality of the Church simply by numbers, institutions, or material resources.
The Pope’s message was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who warned that “War has returned to our continent” and that Europe was “shaken by the return of empires.”
Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit by emphasizing that Europe’s future lies in the harmony of differences, where the wounds of the past become openings through which light shines.
What this adds
Pope Leo XIV was declared “venerable” by Pope Francis in 2021 in recognition of his heroic virtues.
The Pope’s visit comes amid growing concerns about the persecution of Christians in countries like Syria and Iran, where the Christian population has fallen by more than 80% since 2011.
Background
Pope Leo XIV urged Europe to rediscover its Christian roots and engage in open dialogue with others to foster peace and unity during a visit to France on September 28, 2026.
Pope Leo XIV called on Europe to rediscover its Christian heritage and engage in open dialogue with others during a speech in Metz, France, on September 28, 2026.
What's confirmed
- The title of the event was “To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity.” Metz is a city just 27 miles from the Schengen tripoint, where the borders of Luxembourg, France, and Germany meet — an area rich in significance for European history.
- 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.
- Pope Leo XIV urged Europe yesterday to draw from its Christian roots and tradition of dialogue to blunt the “desire for domination” driving today’s wars, as he wrapped up a visit to France by recalling the forces that contributed to the continent’s peaceful integration.
- Pope Leo XIV (C) delivers a speech as France's President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) and President of the Conference of Bishops of France Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline (R) listen during a meeting called "At the Roots of Europe: For Peace and Unity", at the Robert Schuman Conference Centre in Metz, northeastern France, on September 28, 2026 on the last day of his visit to France. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) On Monday, September 28, the last day of his trip to France, Pope Leo XIV gave an address at the “Robert Schuman” Conference Center in Metz.
What's still developing
- He was declared “venerable” by Pope Francis in 2021 in recognition of his heroic virtues.
- “Robert Schuman, who lived through a time of constantly shifting borders, helped to lay the foundations of a Europe that was aware of the urgent need to tear down the walls that were dividing it,” Leo said.
- “Only state-registered denominations are allowed websites. All online activity must demonstrate ‘support for the leadership of the Communist Party of China.'” The report described how Church leaders in Syria fear an existential threat because of the fall in the Christian population by more than 80% since 2011, and says in Iran the arrests of Christians have doubled.
- Not a single country showed improvements for persecuted Christians, with the report revealing that in 10 countries persecution worsened while eight remained the same.
- Speaking to bishops associated with the Focolare Movement, the Holy Father pointed to growing fragmentation in family and community life and called on Catholics to respond by rediscovering a unity rooted in the Holy Trinity.
- VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday said Christ remains the Church’s hope amid war, slavery, sin, and the wounds of history, urging Christians to learn from Jesus a “school of freedom” rooted in the cross.
- For Europe to continue to thrive, it must rediscover its roots and engage in open dialogue with others, Leo XIV told French civil and religious authorities.
- Published 28 Sept 2026, 12:15 UTC Updated 30 Sept 2026, 03:01 UTC 42 outlets compared A wider view of the story This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets.
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- He lamented that in its place, relations today between states are becoming “increasingly uncivilised”.
- In his homily, Leo said that Metz and its surroundings experienced evil, but now “bear witness to the whole world that reconciliation is only possible when one has the courage to break the chains of resentment”.
- Europe “must therefore be understood as a cultural and historical reality before a geographical one,” the Pope said.
Sources
- Aleteialink
- EWTN Newslink
- Newscordlink
- Relevant Radiolink
- Jamaica-Gleanerlink
- Fortunelink
- Ewtnvaticanlink
- Ncregisterlink
- WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Urges Europe to Rediscover Christian Roots for Peace link
- WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Urges Europe to Rediscover Christian Heritage link
- Catholic Online — video link