Pope: The future of Europe is not found in uniformity but in the harmony of differences
By Kielce Gussie
Pope Leo XIV’s last public event before heading to the airport to return to Rome was celebrating Mass in the Cathedral of Saint Stephen (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne) in Metz. Construction began in 1120 and three hundred years later, the current Cathedral was finished.
In this Eucharistic celebration, the Pope noted he was entrusting both the diocesan community of Metz and the entire world to the Lord. The Moselle region—where Metz is located—borders Luxembourg and Germany and he explained “has always been a crossroads for different peoples and has suffered as a result of its location on Europe’s frontier.”
Yet Pope Leo highlighted that God’s promise is still relevant here today.
A home is more than a building
Reflecting on the first reading, the Pope pointed to three images the Prophet Isaiah uses to look at the Kingdom of God in terms of righteousness, justice and peace: the desert, the garden, and the house.
First, “in the desert—a place of sobriety and silence—justice is established.” This image is a reminder of how important simplicity is and invites us to look at what is actually essential in life. It helps us assign appropriate value to objects and teaches us sacrifice and renunciation.
The second image is a garden where justice reigns. Opposite to the desert, the garden reveals beauty—with water, seeds, sprouts, and flowers. This, Pope Leo said, “is the effect of a righteous life, which enables a person to flourish fully by freely adhering to the Lord’s plans.”
Thirdly, there is the image of a house, which is a place of peace. In the desert and garden, God’s actions prevail, which leads to flowers and growth. Conversely, constructing a house demands “a more direct and significant contribution from human beings.” It is a “true ‘construction project’” through shared effort.
In the same way, peace—a gift from God—also needs a response from humans because, moreover, a home is more than a stone structure. It is also filled with human presence and love. “In a world marked by limitations," the Pope explained, “harmony can only be built through charity, a charity that knows how to share joys and sorrows, that knows how to encourage and forgive, without calculation or limit, just as in a family.”
Deserts into oases
The world today is scarred by violence, manipulation, and arrogance at various levels. Yet, in this context, Jesus shows us how to turn “deserts in oases, to plant gardens, and to build homes.” The path to this is marked by forgiveness, mercy, and magnanimity.
It is not a path of weakness. Rather, the Pope invited everyone to reflect on these questions: What do vengeance, retaliation, and rejection bring about, both in the world and within each of us? What will the future be like if these attitudes are the basis of our words and actions?
“Those of you, who are the children of this land torn apart in the past by fratricidal conflicts, know full well that it is not true that those who seek revenge are stronger than those who forgive,” Pope Leo stressed.
Metz and Moselle offer examples how reconciliation is only possible when someone breaks the chain of resentment. In the face of injustice, the only way forward to salvation is through a love that cares for others and looks to offer trust no matter the circumstances.
Therefore, the Pope highlighted, “law, justice and peace are stages on a path of conversion that begins as a personal journey and becomes increasingly communal, leading to a civilization that respects human beings and their Creator.”
St. Augustine defined true peace as a communion where people find joy in God and in each other through God. It also requires the recognition and respect for the unique and sacred dignity and role of others.
These are exactly the values on which Europe was built over the many centuries. Christian monasticism also helped hand down the moral principles that govern the world—primacy of the person, protection of individual freedom, welcoming the stranger, etc.
In the harmony of differences
The Cathedral of Saint Stephen is an example of perseverance and faithfulness to these principles.
“This cathedral teaches us that God’s light does not erase our unique identities but rather unites different histories and cultures into a single marvelous mosaic of peace — so necessary in our time, torn as it is by new divisions and conflicts,” Pope Leo said.
Its stained-glass windows invite us to contemplate how the future of Europe is not found in uniformity. Rather, in the “harmony of differences, where the wounds of the past become openings through which light shines.”
This is a symbol of the identity of the Church. Structures can help us bring light to the Gospel in the world. He argued the stained-glass windows are “‘books’ that bring us together to remember wonderful stories full of heroism, goodness, mercy, love and moral beauty, to which we, in turn, must be generous and courageous witnesses.”
The Pope closed by sharing his wish that the community in Metz, which “today more than ever is called to be a beacon of hope for the country, for Europe and for the world”, is entrusted to the intercession of Virgin Mary and France’s patron saints.
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