Pope Leo urges dialogue and international law in Europe speech

Pope Leo XIV called on European leaders to pursue negotiation, international law and respect for migrants in a speech in Metz on Monday, 28 September. The address came at the end of his four-day visit to France, at a conference centre named for Robert Schuman, a figure associated with Europe's postwar integration. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the meeting, according to Associated Press reporting.

The pope argued that Europe had shown it could reconcile competing interests through dialogue. He urged political leaders to make concessions in pursuit of peace, while warning against the return of war on the continent. His published text did not set out a plan for a particular conflict or name concessions that any side should make. Those limits matter as the speech is interpreted in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Leo also linked European unity to the treatment of people fleeing war and hardship, calling for safe pathways and meaningful integration. His appeal drew on the continent's Christian history while describing human rights, democracy and the rule of law as shared civic values. The visit leaves European governments with a moral challenge, not a new diplomatic agreement.