Pope Leo XIV urges Europe to confront ‘lies, deceit’ in global relations

Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has urged Europe to help break what he described as a growing cycle of “lies and deceit” in relations between nations, calling for dialogue, compromise and respect to end wars and strengthen peace.

Speaking on Monday in Metz, France, during the last day of his four-day visit to the country, the pontiff said international relations were becoming increasingly “uncivilised” as the value of keeping one’s word was being undermined..
“Relations between individuals and states are becoming increasingly uncivilised. The value of keeping one’s word is dismissed. Instead, people boast of lies and deceit,” Leo said alongside French Presidentí Emmanuel Macron.

He urged Europe to use its experience of promoting respect and cooperation to help reverse the trend.
“Europe can help to break this cycle through the respect for others that it has learned to cultivate and preserve,” the Pope said.
Leo also called for greater courage in negotiations and willingness to compromise in order to end wars, making an apparent reference to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine

“Today, sadly, war has returned, even to Europe: a new ‘senseless slaughter,’ claiming countless civilian lives every day,” he said.
The pontiff urged leaders to pursue patient dialogue and make compromises for the sake of peace.

“We need to commit ourselves to patient dialogue, to show courage in negotiation and to be willing to give up some positions for the greater good of peace,” he said.
The Pope further appealed for European unity as nationalist movements gain strength across the continent, while urging countries to respond to the arrival of people fleeing war and persecution with efforts to welcome and integrate them.

He said Europe was entering “a new stage” marked by an unprecedented encounter between peoples and cultures, which he said should encourage Europeans to rediscover their roots while listening to others.
Macron, who spoke alongside the Pope, also called on Europe to resist renewed nationalism and reaffirm its role in promoting peace, independence and democracy.
Leo’s visit to Metz carried particular symbolism because the city is associated with Robert Schuman, one of the founding figures of the European Union.

The Pope’s four-day visit to France was the first official papal visit to the country in nearly two decades.

During the trip, Leo also visited the cockpit of the Air France aircraft that flew him to Metz, spending about 30 minutes there, according to Air France.