Pope Francis complains of 'haggard' Europe in Strasbourg
25 November 2014
Pope Francis has warned that the world sees Europe as "somewhat elderly and haggard" during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The Pope said the continent felt "less and less a protagonist", in a world
that regarded it with mistrust.
He also called for a "united response" to the help the boatloads of migrants
arriving in Europe.
Pope Francis's whistle-stop visit to Strasbourg disgruntled some, who accused
him of neglecting Europe.
Many of Strasbourg's Catholics were upset that the Pope would not meet them
or visit the city's cathedral.
The four-hour visit - the shortest made by any Pope abroad - was his second
European trip since his election last year. He travelled to Albania in
September.
'Vast cemetery'
Addressing the Parliament on Tuesday, the Pope called for action following
the deaths of thousands of migrants who have drowned while trying to cross the
Mediterranean.
"We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery," he said.
"The absence of mutual support within the European Union runs the risk of
encouraging... solutions which fail to take into account the human dignity of
immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing social
tensions."
The treatment of migrants was a subject he also touched on during a second
speech at the Council of Europe, Europe's main human rights body.
His remarks came as the Greek authorities said they were trying to rescue a
cargo ship, believed to be carrying some 500 migrants, that was adrift off the
eastern Mediterranean island of Crete.
Grandmother
The Pope also used his visit to Strasbourg to call for the creation of jobs and better conditions for workers.
At the European Parliament, he spoke of a need to reinvigorate Europe,
describing the continent as a "grandmother, no longer fertile and vibrant" and
saying it risked "slowly losing its own soul".
"The great ideas which once inspired Europe seem to have lost their
attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its
institutions," he said.
Pope Francis left his Popemobile behind on Tuesday, instead opting for a
French-made Peugeot 407 family car.
Residents in Strasbourg were told they could watch both the pontiff's
speeches on a giant screen installed inside the cathedral, which is celebrating
its millennial anniversary.
One worshipper told Reuters: "I think there is disappointment but I think he
also has reasons for making his decision.
"He knows what he is doing but we would have liked him to be here."
It was the second time a Pope has visited Strasbourg.
In 1988 Pope John Paul II visited the city and addressed the European
Parliament, where he was heckled by Northern Irish MEP the Rev Ian Paisley.
During his speech the late Pope called Europe "a beacon of civilisation".
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