Pope calls on EU lawmakers to seek unity over conflict 

Pope Leo XIV met in the Vatican on Saturday with parliamentarians from the European People’s Party.

In his address, the Pope noted that the European project arose “from the ashes of the Second World War,” not only to ensure that such a conflict would never happen again, but also to foster cooperation capable of overcoming “centuries of division.”

Then, quoting Pope Francis, he said that “unity is greater than conflict,” explaining that true unity “has the courage to go beyond the surface of conflict and to see others in their deepest dignity.” Conflict, by contrast, “fosters the pursuit and assertion of power, and ultimately leads to destruction.”

In this context, he went on to recall that politics can be understood as the “highest form of charity,” precisely because it is directed towards the good of all.