I was still at home in Heverlée with my sisters for Easter on Monday April 21, when I received the news of Pope Francis’ death.
The European Union flags were hoisted halfway up their flagpoles.
Easter Monday was a public holiday, so I came into the office on Tuesday April 22. Coming out of the Brussels Schuman train station, the atmosphere of mourning was clearly visible, with all the flags of the European Commission at half-mast, just to mention this institution of the European Union which is located right opposite our office. Yes, the European Union keeps well the memories of this Pope who has maintained in one way or another the relationship with it by evoking it in some of his speeches and especially, by his address to the European Parliament in France in Strasbourg on November 25, 2014. Pope Francis has maintained a relationship of dialogue and moral interpellation with the European Union, but also a dynamic and sometimes critical relationship with it. This article is the fruit of inspiration after rereading this frank and challenging speech, which stands to this day.(1)
Pope Francis’ address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on November 25, 2014.
“The previous visit by a pope to the European institutions dates back to 1988. At the time, John Paul II came to meet a parliament where only 12 countries sat. The Berlin Wall had not yet fallen. Since then, the European Union has expanded to 28 states. And secularization has intensified. To this existential crisis has been added a lasting economic crisis. In Strasbourg, Pope Francis chose to address the entire European continent.”(2)
Pope Francis’s address in Strasbourg reveals a moral figure who is a force to be reckoned with on the international scene, notably through his courageous stances in favor of social justice, peace and human dignity.
A direct, prophetic tone
From the very first sentences, the Pope surprises with his frank and colorful language. He describes Europe as a “grandmother, no longer fertile and alive”, but “tired”, withdrawn into herself, sometimes incapable of inspiring youth. This metaphor is not gratuitous: it underlines a current spiritual and moral reality about a European Union that seems to have lost the impetus of its founding fathers. It was therefore the right moment for him to remind Europe of its humanist and Christian roots, urging it not to lose sight of the values of solidarity, social justice and respect for human dignity.
Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, the Pope reminded Europe of its humanist and Christian roots, urging it not to lose sight of the values of solidarity, social justice and respect for human dignity.
Human dignity as foundation
The heart of the speech is based on the centrality of the human person. Francis pleads for a Europe that “does not revolve around the economy, but around the sacredness of human life”. He criticizes systems that place human beings at the service of finance or technology, and defends an integral vision of development, rooted in dignity and solidarity.
In particular, he highlights the risks of marginalizing the weakest – the unemployed, migrants, the elderly, young people with no future – and calls for fairer, more inclusive social policies.
A Europe of openness and solidarity
In his address, Pope Francis stresses Europe’s historic responsibility for solidarity, particularly in the face of migratory crises. He denounces indifference and national egoism, calling for a policy of welcome based on hospitality, intercultural dialogue and respect for human rights. He urges the EU not to give in to fear of the other, but to rediscover its vocation to build bridges, not walls. He invites Europe to “rediscover its soul” and reinvent itself in a changing world.
Pope Francis has used the right words to describe the ills of the European Union. He is a shining light in the darkness of inequality, marginalization and injustice in our world. It stimulates and gives courage to defenders of the rights of the marginalized.
The main themes of the Pope’s engagement with the European Union were:
1. Migration: Pope Francis regularly criticized the restrictive migration policies of the European Union, pleading for a dignified welcome in solidarity with refugees, particularly in the face of the tragedies in the Mediterranean, which he repeatedly referred to as a “graveyard”(3).
2. Social justice: the Pontiff encouraged a more equitable and inclusive economy, denouncing the logic of profit at the expense of the most vulnerable. He called for an ethical rethinking of European economic policies.
3. Ecology: With his encyclical Laudato Si’, Francis influenced the ecological debate within the European Union, underlining the urgency of an ecological transition based on intergenerational justice and respect for Creation.
4. Peace and diplomacy: Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, notably the war in Ukraine, the Pope posed as a peacemaker, calling on the European Union to play a more active and morally guided diplomatic role.
Conclusion:
The relationship between Pope Francis and the European Union was both demanding and stimulating. Through his courageous stances, the Pope asserted himself as an external moral conscience, challenging European leaders while fueling public debate on the continent’s future. In an age marked by crises, his message resonates to this day as a call to hope and collective responsibility. The Pope affirms that Europe can once again become “a reference for humanity”, if it rediscovers the courage of its founding values: democracy, human rights, solidarity, justice.
He calls for an ethical and cultural awakening, a rebirth of the European project based on listening, responsibility and openness to others.
The Pontificate of Pope Francis has been a great stimulus to the defense of human rights and the integrity of nature. He has opened our eyes and given us the light we need to see the greatness of our field of action, the breadth and depth of our mission. From Laudato Si to Fratelli Tutti, we read a constant desire to build a more fraternal world, founded on respect for human rights, solidarity with the poorest and respect for creation.
Sources:
1. Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
2. KTO télévision catholique, dossier le Pape à la rencontre de l’Europe. Published on 30/7/2019.
3. Mission et Migrations/conférence des Evêques de France : December 01, 2021
Sr. Berlaine Kola – Advocacy Officer
