Pope Leo XIV warned in France on Monday, September 28, that relations between nations were becoming "increasingly uncivilized," with people boasting of "lies and deceit," and urged Europe to help "break this cycle." Speaking in the city of Metz near the border with Germany, where he was wrapping up his four-day visit to France, the first American pontiff also stressed the importance of compromise and patience to end war in Europe. "Relations between individuals and states are becoming increasingly uncivilised. The value of keeping one's word is dismissed. Instead, people boast of lies and deceit," the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics said in an address, with French President Emmanuel Macron in attendance.

Pope Leo XIV warned in France on Monday, September 28, that relations between nations were becoming "increasingly uncivilized," with people boasting of "lies and deceit," and urged Europe to help "break this cycle." Speaking in the city of Metz near the border with Germany, where he was wrapping up his four-day visit to France, the first American pontiff also stressed the importance of compromise and patience to end war in Europe. "Relations between individuals and states are becoming increasingly uncivilised. The value of keeping one's word is dismissed. Instead, people boast of lies and deceit," the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics said in an address, with French President Emmanuel Macron in attendance.

"Europe can help to break this cycle through the respect for others that it has learned to cultivate and preserve," Leo said, on the first official papal visit to the European nation in nearly two decades. Leo sees Europe as a counterweight to the world's major powers and has in the past called on the European Union to overcome tensions and rediscover unity in pursuit of peace in Ukraine and beyond. 'The greater good of peace' Leo also urged "courage in negotiation" and compromise to put an end to war in Europe, in an apparent reference to Russia's war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year. "Today, sadly, war has returned, even to Europe – a new 'senseless slaughter,' claiming countless civilian lives every day," he said. "We need to commit ourselves to patient dialogue, to show courage in negotiation and to be willing to give up some positions for the greater good of peace," the pontiff added.

Leo stressed the importance of unity on a continent where nationalist movements are gaining strength. France's anti-immigration far right hopes to win next year's presidential election and succeed Macron, a centrist.

The pontiff said Europe was "entering a new stage," with the arrival of men and women fleeing war and persecution. "We must grasp the historical significance of what is taking place, namely an unprecedented encounter between peoples and cultures, which calls us to rediscover our roots in new and creative ways, while at the same time listening carefully to others." Later in the day, the pope will ride his open-top popemobile through Metz and celebrate Mass in Saint-Etienne Cathedral, a jewel of Gothic architecture. Macron and his wife Brigitte will attend the religious service. A thorough security sweep on the eve of his visit included deminers abseiling down the cathedral's facade. Enthusiasm and religious fervor The pope has repeatedly appealed for unity and peace, a message shaped in part by his family history. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, who served in the US Navy, witnessed war firsthand, taking part in the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

The first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades has stirred enthusiasm and religious fervour among the faithful in the secular nation with deep Catholic roots.

In Metz, home to around 120,000 people, the pope's visit has sparked excitement, with hotels fully booked and restaurants reporting a surge in reservations. According to the Vatican, more than 1.3 million people turned out to see the pope between Friday and Sunday in Paris and Lourdes.

In the highlight of his visit, Leo travelled in his popemobile along the Champs-Elysées on Saturday, and celebrated Mass for around 800,000 people, with tightly secured central Paris becoming an open-air place of worship. Throughout his journey, the pope has appeared smiling and warm, readily engaging with crowds and blessing children and people with disabilities.

Beyond meeting the faithful, Leo used his visit to reinforce the key priorities of his pontificate, urging peace and coexistence, and warning against losing humanity in "a paradise of machines" with the advance of artificial intelligence.

In the southwestern pilgrimage town of Lourdes on Sunday, the pope met victims of clerical sex abuse and urged French bishops to battle the "painful scourge."