Pope Leo XIV Urges Europe to Draw on Christian Roots to Counter 'Desire for Domination'

Pope Leo XIV called on Europe to return to its Christian roots and traditions of dialogue as a counterweight to the "desire for domination" that he said lies behind today's conflicts, closing his four-day visit to France with an appeal delivered in the eastern city of Metz.

The pontiff travelled to Metz, near the borders with Luxembourg and Germany, to pay tribute to Robert Schuman, the French Catholic statesman counted among the founding fathers of European unity. He chose a conference centre bearing Schuman's name as the venue for the address, using the setting to reinforce his message.

In his remarks, Leo described international law and multilateralism as "the best antidote to the desire for domination, which lies at the root of every conflict," adding that relations between individuals and states were becoming "increasingly uncivilized."

The visit also served as a reminder of the forces that drove Europe's peaceful integration after World War II. The pope encouraged young people to reject violence and oppression and to work instead toward the prosperity of all, while acknowledging that the continent has entered a period of rearmament and higher defence spending amid Russia's war in Ukraine. He stressed that peace is not a static achievement but something that must be rebuilt daily.

President Emmanuel Macron received the pope on stage, accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron. The Élysée Palace had extended invitations to all European Union heads of state and the leaders of European institutions, but in the end only a handful attended alongside Macron, among them Luxembourg's Grand Duke Guillaume V, Monaco's Prince Albert II and former European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, representing smaller states such as Monaco, Andorra and Luxembourg.