The Albany Gazette - Pope arrives in French border city to speak on united Europe

The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics wraps up his four-day trip with a visit to Metz, a northeastern city that repeatedly changed hands between France and Germany in past conflicts.

The city is closely associated with Robert Schuman, considered one of the founding fathers of the European Union, who is buried just outside Metz.

The first US pontiff was expected to speak on the "roots of Europe" and the importance of unity on a continent where nationalist movements are gaining strength and Russia's war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year, shows no sign of abating.

President Emmanuel Macron was also to speak and a handful of European leaders including Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene were set to attend.

Later in the day the pope will ride his open-top popemobile through Metz and celebrate mass in St. Stephen's Cathedral, a jewel of Gothic architecture. Macron and his wife Brigitte will attend the religious service.

Leo's message will come seven months before French voters choose a successor to Macron, with the eurosceptic, anti-immigration far-right seeking power.

The pope sees Europe as a counterweight to the world's major powers and has in the past called on the EU to overcome tensions and rediscover unity in pursuit of peace in Ukraine and beyond.

- 'Something has changed' -

He has repeatedly appealed for unity and peace, a message shaped in part by his family history. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, who served in the US Navy, witnessed war firsthand, taking part in the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

The EU has in recent years been weakened by political divisions over migration and refugees, Britain's withdrawal from the bloc, and disagreements over how to deal with Vladimir Putin.

In Metz, home to around 120,000 people, the pope's visit has sparked excitement, with hotels fully booked and restaurants reporting a surge in reservations.

"This is his fourth day in France, and you can feel that something has changed in the atmosphere," said Florence Prieur, 45.

"People often say we're always complaining, that nothing is going well, but now we're seeing more kindness and more joy."

- 'Enormous preparations' -

"The scale of the preparations is enormous," said Anne Padoreck, a local resident.

A thorough security sweep on the eve of his visit included deminers abseiling down the cathedral's facade.

The first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades has stirred enthusiasm and religious fervour among the faithful in the secular nation with deep Catholic roots.

According to the Vatican, more than 1.3 million people turned out to see the pope between Friday and Sunday in Paris and Lourdes.

In the highlight of his visit, Leo travelled on Saturday in his popemobile along the Champs Elysees and celebrated mass for around 800,000 people, with tightly secured central Paris becoming an open-air place of worship.

Throughout his journey, the pope has appeared smiling and warm, readily engaging with crowds and blessing children and people with disabilities.

Beyond meeting the faithful, Leo used his visit to reinforce the key priorities of his pontificate, urging peace and coexistence, and warning against losing humanity in "a paradise of machines" with the advance of artificial intelligence.

In the southwestern pilgrimage town of Lourdes on Sunday, the pope met victims of clerical sex abuse and urged French bishops to battle the "painful scourge".

(A.Moore--TAG)