Pope Leo XIV closed a four-day trip to France on Monday in the city of Metz, and his message was refreshingly direct. He urged Europe to lean on its Christian roots and its habit of talking things through, so that the desire for domination stops driving today's wars. He did not name any conflicts or leaders.
Speaking near the border with Germany and Luxembourg, the pope also warned that relations between states are becoming increasingly uncivilized, with lies and deceit treated as something to boast about. He honored Robert Schuman, a founding father of European unity, and asked French religious leaders to keep preaching peace. Crowds were huge throughout, about 800,000 at his Paris Mass and roughly 35,000 in Metz. President Macron joined him and promised steady European support for Ukraine. The Vatican rejected the idea that his words were partisan. Whatever people make of them, they certainly landed loudly.
