Five-day tour of the country – Pope Francis in Portugal: urgent appeal to Europe – News

• Pope Francis has arrived in the capital Lisbon during his five-day tour of Portugal.
• The occasion is the World Youth Day of the Roman Catholic Church, for which around one million believers are expected.
• In a speech, the Pope made an urgent appeal to Europe to solve the world’s problems together.

After his arrival in Lisbon, Pope Francis met the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for the official welcome ceremony at the Palácio Nacional de Belém. The pontiff gave Rebelo de Sousa his gift and they talked. At midday, the two of them had a conversation at the President’s official residence in the western part of the Portuguese capital.

In his entry in the Portuguese Book of Honour, Francis particularly emphasized the character of Lisbon as a city of encounters. “As a pilgrim of hope in Portugal, I pray and hope that this young-hearted country will continue to reach out towards horizons of brotherhood.” He hopes that Lisbon will show ways “how we can face the big questions and problems of Europe and the world together”.

Pope calls for courageous peace course

This was followed by Francis’ first public address during his visit. In it he again called for peace efforts. In the face of wars and conflicts and the suffering and migration they cause, the pontiff criticized Europe for failing to make efforts to solve the world’s problems.

“Where do you steer if you don’t propose a peace course to the world, creative ways to bring the war in Ukraine to an end?” Above all, the lack of a courageous peace course is noticeable, said the 86-year-old. In addition, more money is invested in weapons than in the future of the children.

Europe needs more solutions

Europe must also face its problems, said Francis. He criticized the treatment of migrants at the external borders and in the Mediterranean, the decline in the birth rate and the discussions about euthanasia. In addition, it seems to him that “global injustices, wars, climate and migration crises are progressing faster than the ability and often the will to face these challenges together,” said Francis.

Instead, he dreams of a “Europe as the heart of the West” that uses its ingenuity to put out trouble spots and ignite beacons of hope. The continent could be a driver for the global opening that is needed in the world. The world needs Europe, «the real Europe», as a bridge builder and peacemaker.