Pope Leo Urges Europe to Turn Its Scars Into Unity

Pope Leo Urges Europe to Turn Its Scars Into Unity
Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit to France with a Mass in Metz that drew about 35,000 people inside and around the city’s cathedral, according to the Vatican. The choice of venue carried particular weight: Metz sits near the French, German and Luxembourg borders, in a region shaped by repeated territorial conflict and later associated with European integration.

In his homily, Leo used the cathedral’s vast stained-glass windows as an argument against a Europe built on sameness. “The future of Europe is not in uniformity, but in the harmony of differences,” he said, urging people to see old wounds as “openings through which light shines.” His message paired a call for peace with a religious case for forgiveness: “Those who seek revenge are [not] stronger than those who forgive,” he told the congregation.

The pope’s emphasis was both historical and moral. Citing St. Augustine’s idea of tranquillitas ordinis, he said peace depends on people recognising and respecting one another’s “unique and sacred” dignity and role. He argued that Europe’s spiritual and moral inheritance preceded its economic and political institutions.

For attendees, the visit was also a local expression of belonging. Art student Humbeline Deville said it was meaningful to “celebrate peace” with Christians united by “the same cause and the same values.” Another attendee, Marion Bertagnolio, said she hoped the pope’s message would help change hearts and make French Catholics more united.

A widely shared repost from Brazilian commentator Allan Dos Santos described much larger crowds elsewhere during the papal trip, referring to “millions” in the streets and a Mass of 700,000 people. That account was not a description of the Metz service, where the reported attendance was about 35,000.

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