A weary Pope gets an easy start in Luxembourg before entering the lion’s den on latest European trip
Pope Francis appealed for peace and for the integration of migrants in a Europe continuing to reel from the war in Ukraine and an ongoing migrant crisis, as he made a brief day stop in Luxembourg. The pontiff was in Luxembourg as part of a 26-29 September trip which will also take him to Belgium, The post A weary Pope gets an easy start in Luxembourg before entering the lion’s den on latest European trip appeared first on Catholic Herald.
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Pope Francis appealed for peace and for the integration of migrants in a Europe continuing to reel from the war in Ukraine and an ongoing migrant crisis, as he made a brief day stop in Luxembourg.
The pontiff was in Luxembourg as part of a 26-29 September trip which will also take him to Belgium, one of the most secular and progressive countries in Europe, and where Catholicism has been in freefall and is openly viewed with hostility by many there. In Luxembourg, though, the Pope was among a friendly audience and in a country where the role of religion is viewed as being far from toxic.
RELATED: Pope Francis faces a tough audience in Belgium – it could be his most daunting trip yet
Speaking to national authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in Luxembourg, Pope Francis said the country “can be an example of the integration and promotion of migrants as opposed to their segregation, the benefits of cooperation between nations as opposed to the harmful consequences of hardening positions and the selfish and short-sighted or even violent pursuit of one’s own interest.”
The Pope spoke after holding private meetings with Luxembourg Grand Duke Henri and Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Luxembourg, as a representative democracy headed by a constitutional monarch, is the world’s only remaining sovereign grand duchy.
Frieden noted that the Pope is visiting one of the three capitals of the European Union, with Luxembourg “a crossroads of choice for many Europeans”. He also noted that the country is “deeply committed to the principles of international law and a country whose history has been strongly influenced by Judeo-Christian traditions and values”.
Frieden spoke of the importance of freedom of conscience and religious freedom, and of the freedom “not to have any religion imposed upon one”.
He added: “While the relations between Church and State have evolved toward a clearer separation, and while the secularisation of our societies cannot be disputed, religions do not exist outside the bounds of society either.”
Religions, he concluded, are a part of society and must contribute to it, especially in debate over ethical and environmental issues.
Pope Francis, when making his comments, noted that since the end of the Second World War, Luxembourg has dedicated itself to building “a united and fraternal Europe” where each country has a role, and where “divisions, quarrels and wars that have been caused by exaggerated forms of nationalism and pernicious ideologies may finally be left behind”.
The Pope noted that Luxembourg was a founding member of the European Union, and that it is home to several European institutions, including the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank.
Francis lauded Luxembourg as a place “which cherishes the dignity of the human person and the defense of fundamental freedoms” and noted how, due to its geographic location and national history, it can be an example “in pointing the way forward in welcoming and integrating migrants and refugees”.
In a reference to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Pope Francis lamented that Europe is currently witnessing the re-emergence of “rifts and enmities that, instead of being resolved on the basis of mutual goodwill, negotiation and diplomatic efforts, are resulting in open hostilities”.
Humanity has forgotten the past, he said, and called war a “dangerous syndrome” that can only be healed when national leaders adhere to “noble and profound spiritual values”.
“This will prevent reason from succumbing to foolishness and our lapsing into making the same mistakes of the past, mistakes made even worse by the greater technological power that human beings now possess,” he said.
Departing from his text, Francis also attacked the arms trade: “it’s very sad today that in a country in Europe, the most [ready] investments they make are the production of arms. It’s very sad.”
Francis issued an appeal for a return to Gospel values and urged national leaders to engage in “honest negotiations in order to resolve differences”, and to foster a “willingness to find honorable compromises, which undermine nothing and can instead build security and peace for all”.
After his initial meeting with authorities, Pope Francis was slated to meet with members of the Catholic community in Luxembourg on Thursday afternoon before making his way to Belgium.
During the flight to Luxembourg, Pope Francis came to the back of the plane to greet journalists as usual. However, he did not greet the journalists individually as is customary, saying, “I don’t feel up to the ‘trip’”, referring to his passage up and down the aisle where the journalists were seated.
Francis, 87, is recovering from a cold that forced him to cancel his scheduled appointments earlier in the week. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the Pope has skipped the traditional greeting before on short flights, including his flight to Strasbourg in 2014.
It is believed, however, that this was the first time Pope Francis has skipped the greeting due to an apparent lack of energy and stamina.
The Pope, who on his recent 12-day trip to Southeast Asia displayed a formidable amount of energy and willpower for a man his age, will likely need his usual gusto when he touches down in Belgium.
His visit there could be one of his most challenging yet. Once one of Europe’s most Catholic nations, Belgium is now one of the continent’s most progressive bastions for modern secularism.
While some 57 per cent of Belgium’s population is Catholic, the rate of active participation in Sunday Mass is estimated to be as low as 6-10 per cent.
The Church in Belgium also faces significant social challenges, as the country was the second in the world to legalise same-sex marriage in 2003, and it has become a global destination for those seeking euthanasia – this was legalised in Belgium in 2002 and allows foreigners to submit a request to end their lives in the country.
Belgium is also one of very few countries where euthanasia is available for those with “unbearable suffering” caused by a psychiatric disorder or dementia. Belgium became the first country to legalise euthanasia for children in 2014 with no minimum age requirement, but with stipulations for written consent from the parents.
The largely progressive political climate of Belgium makes Catholic positions on matters such as abortion, birth control, gay rights and women deeply unpopular.
Speaking to journalists during a 23 September press briefing about the Pope’s trip to Luxembourg and Belgium, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said: “Secularisation is an issue, but more so perhaps is the challenge of Christian witness in a Europe where Christianity is less known than in the past, full of questions, many unexpressed, with a perception of decline.”
Photo: Pope Francis poses with Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg at the Grand ducal palace in Luxembourg, 26 September 2024. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images.)
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