On his way back from Metz to Rome, Pope Leo XIV, addressed a group of selected journalists that had accompanied him during his 4 days apostolic journey to France (Paris, Lourdes, Metz). He emphasized that the aim of his pastoral journey to France was “to proclaim peace- the peace of Christ throughout the world.”
The author of this article, during her youth – as pupil of a catholic gymnasium in Cologne- made the fascinating experience to participate in several French- German youth camps, that had come into being after the reconciliation between Adenauer and de Gaulle (French-German Elyée Treaty 1963). These youth camps used to take place during the summer holidays in the late 60ies both in France, Normandy, Bourgogne and in Germany, for example in Cologne, Bonn and Münster. It was based on a private initiative taken by catholic circles in Germany and France, in particular by a French priest Abbé Mérand who together with another priest Gilbert Louis (later Bishop of Châlons), and several nuns from the religious order of Notre Dame, side by side with German students, at the time had shaped this youth exchange with a strong spiritual input. Following some of the reports about Pope Leo XIV journey to France, the author was struck by the enthusiasm with which this pope was received in France. His journey was under the Motto “May the world have life.”
Unlike the German Catholic Church, the Catholic Church of France is strictly separated from the state, which follows the principle of “laïcité.” However, what was demonstrated in a very moving way during the Pope’s journey was the “spiritual heritage” of this proud nation, “the eldest daughter of the Catholic church” as Pope Benedict XVI had once called it.
Pope Leo XIV calls on France to remain a tireless champion of peace
After his arrival in Paris (25th of September) during his address at the Elysée Palace to the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, Pope Leo XIV, by referring to the rich cultural /spiritual heritage of France stated that “France has served as a cultural, artistic and spiritual beacon, not only for Europe but also for the whole world. With its cathedrals, schools, universities and academies dedicated to the pursuit of truth, France has helped to shape the outlook of peoples far beyond its borders. The many brilliant French scholars who were also faithful Catholics, demonstrate clearly how the science and arts, literature and philosophy, can contribute to the good of humanity when they are directed toward the pursuit of beauty, goodness and truth.” He made reference to the reopening of the cathedral Notre Dame- (which had been devastated by a major fire in April 15 2019 and got restored December 7th 2024, with many experts from private and public institutions involved). Thanks to President Macron, as he emphasized, many artists, builders, technicians and skilled workers took part in the restoration of the cathedral that today is “symbol of renewed hope.”
The pope described “France as a land with deep Christian roots – from the time of St Irenäus (famous church father during the second century A.C. eh) and the baptism of Clovis, the soul of the nation has drawn from Christianity a rich spiritual, cultural, intellectual, artistic and missionary “élan” that continues to be felt in our world today. So it was that humanism flourished in sixteenth century France, as a means of uniting the heritage of classical Greece and Rome with the Christian faith. With the great thinkers of the Renaissance, and later of the “Grand siècle” succeeded by those of the Enlightenment, France was responsible for significant advances in our world, including the recognition of human rights grounded in the nature of the human person, particularly religious freedom. This constant focus on the dignity inherent in every person is echoed in your national motto: Liberty, equality and fraternity are not simply words emblazoned in the front of your public buildings. They refer to universal ethical imperatives that also find in the Gospel message an inexhaustible source of inspiration and fulfillment.”
He mentioned the “Universal declaration of Human Rights” that was proclaimed in Paris (1948) and sought at that time to foster a broader awareness of the inalienable rights and dignity of the human person. “Saint John Paul II who regarded the declaration as a ‘real milestone on the path of the moral progress of humanity’ was well aware that “any threats to human rights, whether in the field of material realities or in that of spiritual realities, is equally dangerous for peace, since in every instance it concerns man in his entirety.”
He at one point spoke about the dangers, inherent in today’s technological progress, especially when this is “not oriented toward the good.” He specifically referred to the subject of ‘Artificial Intelligence,’ that has been subject in pope Leo XIV’ first Encyclical letter (Magnifica Humanitas, May 2026, with the aim to “make the human person once more the focal point of reflection.”) Amid a “paradise of machines” invading and conditioning our daily lives, the pope warned, that there is an urgent need for “education in ethical discernment and the capacity to acknowledge the moral good. This is indispensable if we are to recognize the genuine good that enables human beings to flourish in accordance with their primordial vocation, with unconditional respect for their interior freedom and their sacred dignity. A truly free society doesn’t impose uniformity but protects the diversity of consciences, preventing authoritarian tendencies and promoting an ethical dialogue that enriches the social fabric. (…) It is precisely because of its rich and varied social fabric that France has for centuries been distinguished by a sensitivity to diversity and a strong commitment to solidarity.” He further emphasized that the Catholic Church in France has demonstrated constant concern for the welfare of the poor and underprivileged, and has sought to be the living face of God’s own mercy and compassion.”
Calling for an end to the arms race
In reference to Pope John XXIII and his famous encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963) which had said that justice, right reason and the recognition of human dignity cry out insistently for an end of the arms race, he urged that the stockpiles of armaments built up in various countries must be reduced. That nuclear weapons must be banned and that a general agreement must be reached on a suitable disarmament program, with an effective system of mutual control. “The mistaken belief that the possession of nuclear weapons is a guarantee of security is spreading and fueling a new arms race that is difficult to control (Magnifica Humanitas). Peace is not a balance of power; rather it is built day by day through dialogue and justice.”
He urged the audience that it should never “grow resigned to the prospect of war or to consider it inevitable, but instead to persevere in the promotion of dialogue and diplomacy, in order to preserve peaceful societies that respect the dignity and rights of individuals and peoples. In the face of rumors of war and the varied crises troubling our world, France is called to remain a tireless champion of peace and multilateralism, particularly within our beloved Europe. May France, faithful to its traditional values, work for a peace that is unarmed and disarming, and responsibly offer its unique contribution to that goal.” He ended with a quote, taken from an address that President Macron gave in 2018 to the Bishops of France in which he said that a Church that claims to be uninterested in temporal matters would not be fulfilling her vocation and that a President of the Republic who claims to be uninterested in the church and in Catholics would be failing his duty.”
Dialogue with the youth
At the first day of his journey almost 700.000(!) visitors gathered in Paris – an impressive human chain, that was cheering the pope, presenting him babies so that he could bless them. In splendid weather one could see how these people were lining up along the Champs Elysées, that led into the Place de la Concorde, where the pope celebrated a mass, followed in the evening by an extraordinary encounter with the youth (80.000) at the “Stade of France” of Saint Denis. Being enthusiastically received he told them what it means to live out in an authentic way their catholic faith.
As one could also witness in his dialogue at the “Catholic Institute of Paris” the pope was deeply impressed by the phenomenon of the “Catechumen” movement, that in the last years led to a spectacular rise of “baptisms” among thousands of young adults in France. It may be a “reaction formation” to the exaggerated forms of secularism and formalism and the fact that in French society the right of abortion has surged, while at the same time the basis for a legal framework for euthanasia was laid, which allows French society to get rid of the sick, and frail old people.
At the Catholic Institute of Paris, the Pope had a fascinating dialogue with some catechumens, who spoke about their history, the longing and thirst for giving a sense to their human life and the aspiration for a more spiritual in depth contemplation within a given parish or community. In the presence of the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, the pope spoke about this institute which “at the intersection of science and faith, had helped for centuries to educate minds and hearts. (…) It may seem paradoxical that this phenomenon, in which so many people are rediscovering the Gospel and embracing the faith, is taking place against the backdrop of a society like that of France, which is marked by a deeply secularized culture,” the pope said.
Pope at UNESCO: “A place where humanity can reflect on itself”
At almost each occasion during his pastoral journey the pope raised his voice in order to formulate a “counterpoint”, a broader vision for society based on peace, justice and freedom, and in defense of the inalienable right of man. This could be clearly seen during the Pope’s address in front of the Paris based UNESCO – where the pope spoke about the subject, “what it means to be human.”
A fundamental question that according to the pope deserves to be explored today is “What does it mean to be human? 1. The human person is someone which is conceived and born…to be a child. None of us decided from whom, when or where to be born. For every human being, birth established a primordial bond – a communion of life that has its source, and its first educational setting, in the family. 2. We are all born naked and in need. Yet life today, he observed, is no longer understood as a gift, but as a commodity… It is no longer viewed as a summons to care and responsibility, but as a product to be exploited. 3. To keep alive the memory of our common humanity is to recognize its grandeur – that is, its immense potential …Freedom is indeed beautiful when it is oriented toward goodness and truth; it is disfigured when it descends into arbitrariness, violence or the thirst for power.”
The pope warned that “at this particular juncture, we must recognize that the most terrible of ‘human works’ is war(!), for then science itself is placed at the service of an inhumane will to destroy and to kill.” He referred to the preamble of UNESCO (1948) which had written then: “Since wars begin on the minds (!) of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace must be constructed (….) The founding states of UNESCO understood that treaties are necessary, but not sufficient in themselves. They require a culture of peace and a shared commitment to peace, which sustain them. Peace cannot be built by treaties alone, nor by compromise between opposing forces. Peace is genuine when it springs from the virtue of justice rather than from a mere contract, and from an upright will rather than from an unstable balance of interests. Indeed, only an upright will can recognize in the other a brother or sister, a person like oneself.”
Wars and the construction of Peace begin in the mind of men and woman
A special attention was given by the pope in his address at the “ Robert Schuman Conference Center” in Metz to Robert Schuman (1886-1963, former minister president and foreign minister, who together with the Italian Christian Democrat Alcide de Gasperi (1881-1954) had helped “to shape the Europe of today and tomorrow through his famous ‘Declaration of May 9th, 1950’. This text marks both the starting point and the culmination of his lifelong commitment to the reconciliation and unity of the European continent,” the Pope stated.
According to the Pope, “Europe whether we are speaking of its present or its past, gradually developed as sense of its own identity over the course of the historical periods of Hellenistic civilization, the Roman empire and then the spread of Christianity, integrating, over time, new cultures, including the Germanic and Slavic cultures, thereby expanding to encompass ever larger regions. (…) Europe must therefore be understood as a cultural and historical reality before a geographical one (…) Throughout its long and turbulent history, Europe has flourished and progressed when it has been able to draw on the best aspects of its past and reinvent them in new and creative ways through encounters with others. (…) Indeed, European civilization is also the fruit of centuries long encounters, even though these have not always been easy. We need only think of the presence of Arab culture in the Iberian Peninsula, or of the expansion of the ‘old continent’ into the ‘new world’ which gave rise -at times painfully- to new integrations on the American continent.”
He mentioned as one founding father of Europe: Saint Benedict, whom Pope Saint Paul VI proclaimed its patron in 1964, describing him as a “messenger of peace, craftsman of unity, teacher of civilization,” (…) Care for the poor, the sick and the elderly; education of children and universities; hospitals and medicine; architecture and engineering; the development of the science; law and the organization of cities and States themselves- so much in Europe stems from the profound influence of Saint Benedict and his monks. Without this monastic tradition, European civilization as we know it, would not exist…It was here in Metz… one can sense the Benedictine spirit of fraternity, communion and sharing. It is from here that Gregorian chant spread throughout the Carolingian territories, bringing harmony and beauty to the whole continent.”
He further asked the question: What can Robert Schuman teach Europe and the world today? “First of all, a deep desire for peace. Today sadly, war has returned even to Europe: a new ‘senseless slaughter’ claiming countless civilian lives every day. And today, as in 1950, the words of the ‘Schuman Declaration’ remain timely: ‘An organized and revitalized Europe can make a contribution to civilization which is indispensable for maintaining such peaceful relations.’” As the Pope stressed: “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.” (!) He stressed that the search for peace in Europe, as throughout the world, must not be confused with a naïve form of pacifism. On the contrary, Schuman’s words are more relevant than ever,” he said quoting from him: “World peace cannot be safeguarded if constructive efforts are not made commensurate with the dangers that threaten it.” However, he also cautioned that “we must also guard against the illusion that rearmament is the answer. “It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats.” (Message for 59thWorld Day of Peace, 1. Jan 2026) “Promoting peace,” he said, “is an active task. Today we must ask whether we are truly making ‘creative efforts’ to advance world peace, or whether we are simply seeking to ‘stem the tide of war’ and better prepare ourselves for wars that we assure are still to come.” He also stressed that “over the past eighty years, Europe has amply demonstrated that it is possible to articulate divergent opinions, claims and interests through encounter rather than conflict.”
He emphasized that he was thinking above all of young people, who are called upon to build the Europe of today and tomorrow. As Schuman had once said: “May this idea of Europe reconciled, united and strong become the watchword of the younger generations, eager to serve a humanity at last freed from hatred and fear, which after far too many division, learning once again about Christian fraternity”.
