The Albany Gazette - Pope urges Europe to help combat 'deceit and lies' in international ties

Speaking in the city of Metz near the border with Germany, where he was wrapping up a four-day visit to France, Leo did not mention any world leaders by name.

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

Leo, the first US pontiff, has repeatedly clashed with President Donald Trump in recent months over the harsh crackdown on immigration in the United States and the war on Iran.

Trump has called him "weak" on crime and "terrible" on foreign policy.

"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," the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics said, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Europe can help to break this cycle through the respect for others that it has learned to cultivate and preserve," Leo said, on the first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades.

Throughout his trip, the pope has appeared smiling and warm, readily engaging with crowds.

On Monday morning, the pontiff, who is passionate about aviation, spent half an hour in the cockpit of the Air France plane that flew him to the city on the final leg of the apostolic journey, Air France told AFP.

- 'Force for peace' -

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

In his speech on unity in Europe, Leo also urged "courage in negotiation" and compromise to put an end to war on the continent, in an apparent reference to Russia's war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year and showing no sign of abating.

"Today, sadly, war has returned, even to Europe: a new 'senseless slaughter,' claiming countless civilian lives every day," he said.

"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," the pontiff added.

Leo appealed for unity as nationalist movements are gaining strength in Europe. France's anti-immigration far right hopes to win next year's election and succeed Macron, a centrist.

The pontiff said Europe was "entering a new stage" with the arrival of men and women fleeing war and persecution, urging countries to welcome and integrate them.

"We must grasp the historical significance of what is taking place, namely an unprecedented encounter between peoples and cultures, which calls us to rediscover our roots in new and creative ways, while at the same time listening carefully to others."

Macron for his part said Europe should counter resurgent nationalism.

Europe "must rediscover the courage of its founders -- yes, courage -- in order to become the force for peace, independence, and democracy that it is meant to be," he said.

"The courage not to give in to withdrawal, to hatred of others, to the return of nationalisms that divide," he said.

- 'Something has changed' -

Leo has repeatedly called for 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.

In Metz, home to around 120,000 people, the pope's visit had 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.

"We're seeing more kindness and more joy."

Philippe Ballot, archbishop of Metz, said the visit carried strong symbolic significance in a city shaped by "three wars, including two world wars".

(A.Moore--TAG)