In his first major public speech during his visit to Portugal, Pope Francis made an urgent appeal to Europe to work together to solve the world‘s problems. In a speech to representatives of the Portuguese government and civil society at the Belém Cultural Center in Lisbon, he called for more action and called for renewed peace efforts.
Pope: The world needs Europe as a “bridge builder and peacemaker”
In the face of wars and conflicts and the suffering and migration they cause, the Catholic leader criticized Europe for failing to make efforts to solve the world‘s problems. “Where do you steer if you are not proposing to the world a course for peace, creative ways to end the war in Ukraine and the many conflicts that stain the world with blood?” Above all, the lack of a courageous European peace course is noticeable, said the 86-year-old. In addition, more money is invested in weapons than in the future of the children.
World Youth Day visitors wait for the Pope in front of the Presidential Palace in Belém in LisbonImage: Gregorio Borgia/AP/dpa/picture alliance
Europe must also face its problems, said Francis. He criticized the treatment of migrants at the external borders and in the Mediterranean, the decline in the birth rate and the discussions about euthanasia.
In addition, it seems to him that “global injustices, wars, climate and migration crises are progressing faster than the ability and often the will to face these challenges together,” said Francis. Instead, he dreams of a “Europe as the heart of the West” that uses its ingenuity to put out trouble spots and ignite beacons of hope.
After the official welcome at the airport with a gun salute and military honors, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received the Pope in his official residence Palácio Nacional de BelémImage: Armando Franca/AP/dpa/picture alliance
The continent could be a driver for the global opening that is needed in the world. The world needs Europe, “the true Europe as a bridge builder and peacemaker”. World Catholic Youth Day in Lisbon is an opportunity to build something together.
World Youth Day in Lisbon
Despite numerous meetings with top Portuguese politicians and representatives of civil society, the Catholic World Youth Day is the focus of Pope Francis’ trip abroad. Eleven public appearances and numerous other meetings are planned during his five-day visit to Lisbon. The highlights of the visit include meeting sick young people in the pilgrimage site of Fátima and the large concluding service on Sunday.
Confession opportunity for World Youth Day visitors in LisbonImage: Violeta Santos Moura/REUTERS
The head of the Catholic Church is also expected to meet victims of sexual abuse by Portuguese clergy during his stay in Portugal. At least 4,815 children have been molested by clerics in Portugal since 1950, according to a report by an independent commission released in February.
World Youth Day – the largest Catholic event of all – has taken place as an international gathering every two to three years since the 1980s. The origins lie in the time of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, who described youth as “the future of the world and the hope of the Church”.
qu/AR (dpa, afp, kna, epd)