Pope: Luxembourg can be a model of cooperation on behalf of peace

By Lisa Zengarini

“Luxembourg can show everyone the advantages of peace as opposed to the horrors of war... and the benefits of cooperation between nations as opposed to the harmful consequences of hardening positions and the selfish and short-sighted or even violent pursuit of one’s own interests.”

Upon his arrival in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on Thursday morning, Pope Francis encouraged local government authorities to uphold its longstanding commitment to peace and to building “a united and fraternal Europe” amid resurgent nationalism and war looming on the continent.

Luxembourg's historic role in promoting peace and unity in Europe

Addressing authorities, civil society, and the diplomatic corps in his first speech in the Grand Duchy at the Cercle Cité palace, the Pope recalled that Luxembourg has frequently found itself at the crossroads of Europe’s most significant historical events and acknowledged its crucial role in promoting peace and unity in Europe after the ravages of World War II, as a founding member of the European Union .

He praised its “solid democratic structure,” which promotes human dignity and the common good,  allowing this small nation at the heart of Europe to thrive and to play a major role on the international stage.

“Indeed,” the Pope noted, “it is not the size of the territory nor the number of inhabitants that serve as indispensable conditions for a State to play an important part on the international stage, or for it to become an economic and financial nerve centre.”

Wealth includes responsibility towards the poor

Drawing on the words of Saint John Paul II during his Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg in 1985, Pope Francis reiterated the need for solidarity among nations, especially in supporting poorer countries.

He encouraged Luxembourg in its role as an “important crossroads of cultures" to continue its mission of promoting cooperation globally, so that “all may become protagonists in an organized process of integral development," in line with the Church’s social doctrine.

The Pope  called in particular for a model of development that respects the environment and opposes social exclusion, reminding the audience “that having wealth includes responsibility.”

He  insisted on the duty of rich nations like Luxembourg to help disadvantaged countries to rise from poverty, also to “to ensure a decrease in the number of those forced to emigrate.”

In this regard, he noted, the Grand Duchy, with its history and multicultural population, can serve as a model for welcoming and integrating migrants and refugees.

Speaking off the cuff, the Pope also reiterated  the urgent need to address  Europe's declining birth rate : "We need more children! They are our future," he said.

Need for spiritual values to counter the "foolishness" of war 

Turning to the present dramatic situation in the world, Pope Francis decried the resurgence of deadly conflicts even in Europe, which tell us that humanity tends to “forget” the past , perriodically returning "to the tragic path of war. ”

To prevent reason from succumbing to this "foolishness", the Pope remarked that  “we need to raise our gaze upwards”,  and peoples and their leaders to be “motivated by noble and profound spiritual values”.   It is these values, he said, that allow us not to fall into the same mistakes of the past, made even worse today "by the greater technological power that human beings now possess.“

Reaffirming the Church's commitment to promoting peace and fraternity inspired by the Gospel, Pope Francis  highlighted that Luxembourg can show everyone the advantages of peace as opposed to the horrors of war, and the benefits of cooperation between nations.

He again urged world leaders to engage “resolutely” in honest negotiations to resolve differences, together with a “willingness to find honourable compromises, which undermine nothing and can instead build security and peace for all.”

"To serve"

Bringing his speech to a close, Pope Francis explained that the motto of his visit “Pour servir” - “To serve" - refers to the Church's mission, but applies to everyone as a noble task and way of life to be followed each day. Even those who have no faith , he added, "should work for their brothers, work for their country, work for society. This is a path for everyone, always for the common good!"

“May God enable you always to serve with a joyful and generous heart,” he concluded.