Key facts
- Pope Leo urged negotiators to be willing to sacrifice positions for peace.
- The Pope lamented that war has returned to Europe, claiming countless civilian lives daily.
- He praised European integration and multiculturalism.
- Pope Leo reiterated his opposition to rising European military spending.
- He urged European leaders to integrate migrants and offer them opportunities.
- Pope Leo stressed the importance of the rule of law and respect for others.
Pope Leo called for negotiators to be willing to sacrifice positions for peace as efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue to fail. Speaking in Metz, France, the pontiff lamented that "war has returned, even to Europe: a new senseless slaughter, claiming countless civilian lives every day."
In his clearest political vision yet for Europe, Leo praised integration and multiculturalism at a time when the far right is gaining strength across the region. He urged Europeans to recall the founding values of the EU, including the rule of law and the equality of all people. The Pope began his four-day visit on Friday with a warning that multilateral bodies were in crisis and that international dialogue risked becoming a "charade."
On Monday, he turned his attention to the war in Ukraine, urging, "We need ... to show courage in negotiation and to be willing to give up some positions for the greater good of peace," invoking a similar 1917 appeal from Pope Benedict XV. Leo also reiterated his opposition to rising European military spending, questioning whether efforts were being made for peace or to prepare for future wars. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met Donald Trump last week to discuss ways to end the conflict, which Russia began in 2022 and has resulted in neither side conceding land.
Additionally, Pope Leo urged European leaders to integrate migrants, offering them opportunities as if they were family members. He repeated his call for "legal and safe pathways" for immigration and international cooperation to fight human trafficking. The Pope has frequently criticized hardline US anti-immigration policies and stressed that Europe has flourished through encounters with others, while also emphasizing its Christian roots and the importance of respecting others.