Brussels – “Pope Francis will be remembered for his leadership, source of inspiration, his moral authority, and kindness.” This is how the President of the EU Parliament, Roberta Metsola, wished to pay homage today (May 5) to Pope Francis at the opening of the Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.
The session opened with an official commemoration. “Pope Francis took every opportunity to speak in favour of a more humane, peaceful and united world,” Metsola said. “In 2014, His Holiness addressed this plenary and called on each member to “work so that Europe rediscovers the best of itself.” I wish to share with you the words he wished to dedicate to us: “I wish that the European Parliament may increasingly be the forum where each of its members contributes to ensure that Europe, aware of its past, looks with confidence to the future to live the present with hope.” The president also recalled her call for action and cooperation by all for a better, more compassionate, and courageous Europe. A minute’s silence then followed in honour of Pope Bergoglio.
Afterwards, exponents of political groups expressed their condolences for the Pope’s death. Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party, wanted to recall the pontiff’s commitment to migrants: “He never talked about migrants, he talked about human beings.” He then issued a warning against “all the extremists who have abused Christianity for their own interests,” stressing how Christian values are European values. Iratxe García Pérez of the Socialists and Democrats group emphasised Bergoglio’s fight for social justice, urging his fellow MEPs not to “look the other way” on the migration issue. Jordan Bardella, leader of the European Patriots, wished to recall the Pontiff’s role as moral authority and, touching on a theme dear to his Rassemblement National, reiterated, “Church-born France does not forget its Christian roots and also the millennial ties that bind it to the Catholic Church.”
Nicola Procaccini, leader of Conservatives and Reformists, who used the occasion to recall Europe’s Catholic roots, made no secret of his disagreement with Francis’ views on migration: “I share many of the pope’s messages but I would be hypocritical if I did not admit different views on migration; despite everything, Christianity is the only cultural amalgam that binds Europe together, even if the EU denies it every day.” The Left and the Greens fondly recalled the Pope’s commitment to the weak and marginalised and a lasting peace in Ukraine and Gaza.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
