Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace and Unity at Interreligious Meeting in Metz

Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged religious leaders to spread messages of peace and unity, closing his four-day visit to France with an appeal for Europe to rediscover the spirit of dialogue that drove its post-war integration.

The pontiff travelled to Metz, a city in eastern France near the borders with Germany and Luxembourg, to preside over an interreligious meeting. The gathering was held at a conference centre named after Robert Schuman, the French Catholic statesman widely regarded as a founding father of European unity.

Addressing Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox leaders, Leo pointed to Schuman's readiness to promote dialogue even among adversaries. He said faith leaders carried a shared duty to build friendships across borders in the cause of peace.

"To invoke God's name in order to justify violence or oppression is to profane that name," the pope said. "Religious discourse must constantly call for the disarmament of hearts and words."

The choice of Metz for the final leg of his trip underscored his message that Europe should draw on its tradition of encounter as it confronts the challenges of war, migration and polarization.

Later on Monday, in his last event on French soil, Leo was to celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Metz, one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and home to stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.