5 questions about Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Metz, France

1. What did Pope Leo XIV say in Metz, France?

Leo urged Europe to draw on its Christian roots and tradition of dialogue to counter the “desire for domination” driving today’s wars. He called for patient dialogue, courage in negotiation and a willingness to “give up some positions for the greater good of peace,” without naming specific conflicts.

2. Why did he choose Metz to end his four-day visit to France?

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Leo went to honor Robert Schuman, a French Catholic statesman regarded as a founding father of European unity after World War II. He delivered his message at a conference center named for Schuman, near the border with Luxembourg and Germany.

3. Who was Robert Schuman, and why does he matter?

Schuman’s 1950 declaration proposed pooling coal and steel production between rivals France and Germany, so that another war between them would be “not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible.” That plan produced the first of the institutions that became the European Union. A resistance fighter imprisoned by the Nazis, Schuman was declared “venerable” in 2021, a step toward possible sainthood.

4. Was the pope’s message political?

Leo praised Schuman’s respect for international law, which was an indirect reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. military incursions in Venezuela and the Iran war. He said international law and multilateralism are “the best antidote” to the desire for domination. Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher said the pope was preaching Catholic morals and that anyone wanting to draw political conclusions was free to do so.

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5. How did France and Europe respond?

French President Emmanuel Macron joined Leo on stage, vowing “unfailing” European support for Ukraine and sat in the front row at the Mass, which drew about 35,000 people by the Vatican’s estimate. However, only a handful of leaders from smaller states, such as Monaco, Andorra and Luxembourg, attended, even though the Elysee Palace had invited all EU heads of state. Crowds throughout the visit were huge, including 800,000 at a Paris Mass, which surprised even organizers.

For more on this report, read “Pope Leo wraps up France trip by urging Europe to blunt ’desire for domination’ driving today’s wars” from The Associated Press, published on The Washington Times.

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