Pope is committed to European unity, European Parliament ex-president says following audience
April 27, 2026
Pope Leo XIV is committed to European unity, a former president of the European Parliament said following an audience with the Pontiff.
“The personality of Pope Leo has impressed me deeply—first and foremost as a human being, but also regarding his statements,” Hans-Gert Pöttering said in an interview with Vatican News following his April 25 audience with the Pontiff. “And I believe that in him, we have a Pope who carries a powerful message for the world—not just for Catholics, but for the entire world: namely, that the human person stands at the very center.”
“European unification is a work of reconciliation and peace,” Pöttering continued. “The European Union was not created—as the American President seems to believe—in competition with the United States. That is absolute nonsense.”
Pöttering added:
And I believe that the Catholic Church can contribute to underscoring the spirit of reconciliation, the ideal of peace, and the concept of freedom inherent in European unification—thereby bringing the idea of European unification closer to the people. It is my very strong impression that Pope Leo XIV will indeed do just that. He has conveyed this through his words, as well as through the example he sets for us all ....
John Paul II was, after all, the towering figure in the transformation away from communism. His role cannot be overestimated. Benedict XVI signaled his support for European unification simply through the choice of his name—for Benedict of Nursia is, of course, one of the patron saints of Europe. Pope Francis received a special edition of the Charlemagne Prize—I was present on that occasion—just as John Paul II had received it before him.
And now, this commitment to European unification shown by Pope Leo XIV demonstrates—regardless of who happens to be Pope at any given moment—the enduring obligation to European unification as a project of peace and a project of freedom. And as a former politician, but also simply as a human being and a Christian, I am truly delighted by this.
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