#BreakingNews Pope Francis Lands Safely in Luxembourg Calling for a "new era of peace and the paths to follow."
Pope Francis landed in Luxembourg to begin his 46th Apostolic Journey abroad, after starting his day by meeting at his Vatican residence with several homeless people who sleep near St. Peter’s Square. The papal plane departed from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at 8:29 AM on Thursday carrying Pope Francis, his entourage, and dozens of journalists covering his Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg and Belgium. The Holy Father's plane landed at Luxembourg Airport at 9:56 AM (GMT+2). Before leaving the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope met with a group of about 10 homeless people. The country of Luxembourg has an area of 999 square miles and a population of 672,000. Catholics in the Archdiocese, currently headed by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, S.I., make up approximately 67% of its population of today, followed by Protestants (5%).s Catholic. The Lutheran and Calvinist Churches are the largest Protestant denominations.
On arrival in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on Thursday, Sept. 25th in the morning, Pope Francis encouraged local government authorities to uphold its longstanding commitment to peace and to building “a united and fraternal Europe” amid 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 Luxembourg's crucial role in promoting peace and unity in Europe after the ravages of World War II, as a founding member of the European Union .
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO LUXEMBOURG AND BELGIUM - (26-29 September 2024)
MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
“Cercle Cité” (Luxembourg) - Thursday, 26 September 2024
___________________________
Your Royal Highnesses,
Mr. Prime Minister,
Distinguished Representatives of Civil Society,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your Eminences!
I am pleased to make this visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; I sincerely thank Your Royal Highness and the Prime Minister for the cordial expressions of welcome he has addressed to me. And also for the very familiar welcome to your [Grand Ducal] family, thank you!
Due to its particular geographical position, on the border of different linguistic and cultural areas, Luxembourg has often found itself at the crossroads of the most significant European historical events; twice, in the first half of the last century, it had to suffer invasion and deprivation of freedom and independence.
Taught by its history - history is the teacher of life -, since the end of the Second World War, your country has distinguished itself in its commitment to building a united and supportive Europe, in which each country, small or large, had its own role, finally leaving behind the divisions, conflicts and wars, caused by exasperated nationalisms and pernicious ideologies. Ideologies are always an enemy of democracy.
It must also be recognized that when logics of conflict and violent opposition prevail, the places that are located on the border between conflicting powers end up being - in spite of themselves - heavily involved. When, however, spirits finally rediscover ways of wisdom, and replace opposition with cooperation, then these same places become the most suitable to indicate, not only symbolically, the needs of a new era of peace and the paths to follow.
Luxembourg, a founding member of the European Union and of the Communities that preceded it, is no exception to this rule, as it is the seat of numerous European institutions, including the Court of Justice of the Union, the Court of Auditors and the Investment Bank. And this is always done with peace, let us not forget that war is always a defeat. Peace – Luxembourg has a history of building peace – is necessary. It is very sad that today in a European country the investments that generate the most income are those of weapons factories. It is very sad.
In turn, the solid democratic structure of your country, which has at heart the dignity of the human person and the defense of his fundamental freedoms, is the indispensable premise for such a significant role in the continental context. In fact, it is not the size of the territory or the number of inhabitants that are the indispensable conditions for a State to play an important role on the international level, or for it to become a nerve center at the economic and financial level. Instead, it is the patient construction of institutions and wise laws, which, by regulating the life of citizens according to criteria of equity and in compliance with the rule of law, place the person and the common good at the center, preventing and combating the dangers of discrimination and exclusion. Luxembourg is a country with open doors, a beautiful testimony of non-discrimination and non-exclusion.
In this regard, the words spoken by Saint John Paul II when, in 1985, he visited Luxembourg remain relevant: "Your country," he said, "remains faithful to its vocation to be, in this important crossroads of civilizations, a place of intense exchanges and cooperation between an ever-increasing number of countries. I fervently hope that this desire for solidarity will increasingly unite national communities and extend to all the nations of the world, especially the poorest" (Address at the Welcoming Ceremony, 15 May 1985). In making these statements my own, I renew in particular the appeal for the establishment of relations of solidarity between peoples, so that all may become participants and protagonists of an orderly project of integral development.
The social doctrine of the Church indicates the characteristics of this progress and the ways to achieve it. I too have followed in the wake of this teaching by studying two major themes: care for creation and fraternity. In fact, development, to be authentic and integral, must not plunder and degrade our common home and must not leave peoples or social groups on the margins: everyone, all brothers. Wealth – let us not forget – is a responsibility. Therefore I ask that we always pay attention not to neglect the most disadvantaged nations, but rather that they be helped to recover from their conditions of impoverishment. This is a royal road to ensuring that the number of those forced to emigrate, often in inhumane and dangerous conditions, decreases. May Luxembourg, with its peculiar history, with its equally peculiar geographical position, with just under half of its inhabitants coming from other parts of Europe and the world, be of help and an example in indicating the path to take to welcome and integrate migrants and refugees. And you are a model of this.
Unfortunately, we must consider the re-emergence, even on the European continent, of fractures and enmities that, instead of being resolved on the basis of mutual good will, negotiations and diplomatic work, result in open hostilities, with their aftermath of destruction and death. It seems that the human heart does not always know how to preserve memory and that it periodically loses its way and returns to travel the tragic paths of war. We are forgetful in this. To heal this dangerous sclerosis, which makes Nations seriously ill and increases conflicts and risks throwing them into adventures with immense human costs, renewing useless massacres, we must raise our gaze upwards, it is necessary that the daily life of peoples and their leaders be animated by high and profound spiritual values. These values will prevent the madness of reason and the irresponsible return to committing the same errors of times past, aggravated further by the greater technical power that human beings now make use of. Luxembourg is right at the heart of the ability to make friends and avoid these paths. I would say: it is one of your vocations.
As Successor of the Apostle Peter, on behalf of the Church which – as Paul VI said – is an expert in humanity, I am also sent here to testify that this lifeblood, this ever new force of personal and social renewal is the Gospel. It makes us find sympathy among all nations, among all peoples: sympathy, feeling equally, suffering equally. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone is able to transform the human soul in depth, making it capable of doing good even in the most difficult situations, of extinguishing hatred and reconciling the parties in conflict. May everyone, every man and every woman, in full freedom, know the Gospel of Jesus, who reconciled God and man in his Person and who, knowing what is in the human heart, can heal its wounds. Always positive.
Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Luxembourg can show everyone the advantages of peace compared to the horrors of war, of the integration and promotion of migrants compared to their segregation – and for this I give you many thanks: that spirit of welcoming migrants and also giving them an insertion into your society, this enriches –, the benefits of cooperation between Nations in the face of the disastrous consequences of the hardening of positions and the selfish and short-sighted or even violent pursuit of one's own interests. And I would like to add one thing. I have seen the percentage of births: please, more children, more children! It is the future. I am not saying more children and fewer puppies – I say this in Italy –, but more children!
There is in fact an urgent need for those invested with authority to commit themselves with perseverance and patience to honest negotiations with a view to resolving conflicts, with a spirit willing to identify honorable compromises, which do not prejudice anything and which instead can build security and peace for all.
“Pour servir”, “To serve”: with this motto I have come among you. It refers directly and eminently to the mission of the Church, which Christ, the Lord made servant, sent into the world as the Father had sent Him. But allow me to remind you that this, serving, is also for each of you the high title of nobility. Service is also for you the main task, the style to assume every day. May the good Lord grant you to always do it with a happy and generous spirit. And those who have no faith, work for their brothers, work for their country, work for society. This is a path for everyone, always for the common good!
May Mary Mother Jesus, Consolatrix afflictorum, Patrona Civitatis et Patriae Luxemburgensis watch over Luxembourg and the world, and obtain from Jesus her Son peace and every good thing.
May God bless Luxembourg! Thank you.
TO LUXEMBOURG AND BELGIUM - (26-29 September 2024)
MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
“Cercle Cité” (Luxembourg) - Thursday, 26 September 2024
___________________________
Your Royal Highnesses,
Mr. Prime Minister,
Distinguished Representatives of Civil Society,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your Eminences!
I am pleased to make this visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; I sincerely thank Your Royal Highness and the Prime Minister for the cordial expressions of welcome he has addressed to me. And also for the very familiar welcome to your [Grand Ducal] family, thank you!
Due to its particular geographical position, on the border of different linguistic and cultural areas, Luxembourg has often found itself at the crossroads of the most significant European historical events; twice, in the first half of the last century, it had to suffer invasion and deprivation of freedom and independence.
Taught by its history - history is the teacher of life -, since the end of the Second World War, your country has distinguished itself in its commitment to building a united and supportive Europe, in which each country, small or large, had its own role, finally leaving behind the divisions, conflicts and wars, caused by exasperated nationalisms and pernicious ideologies. Ideologies are always an enemy of democracy.
It must also be recognized that when logics of conflict and violent opposition prevail, the places that are located on the border between conflicting powers end up being - in spite of themselves - heavily involved. When, however, spirits finally rediscover ways of wisdom, and replace opposition with cooperation, then these same places become the most suitable to indicate, not only symbolically, the needs of a new era of peace and the paths to follow.
Luxembourg, a founding member of the European Union and of the Communities that preceded it, is no exception to this rule, as it is the seat of numerous European institutions, including the Court of Justice of the Union, the Court of Auditors and the Investment Bank. And this is always done with peace, let us not forget that war is always a defeat. Peace – Luxembourg has a history of building peace – is necessary. It is very sad that today in a European country the investments that generate the most income are those of weapons factories. It is very sad.
In turn, the solid democratic structure of your country, which has at heart the dignity of the human person and the defense of his fundamental freedoms, is the indispensable premise for such a significant role in the continental context. In fact, it is not the size of the territory or the number of inhabitants that are the indispensable conditions for a State to play an important role on the international level, or for it to become a nerve center at the economic and financial level. Instead, it is the patient construction of institutions and wise laws, which, by regulating the life of citizens according to criteria of equity and in compliance with the rule of law, place the person and the common good at the center, preventing and combating the dangers of discrimination and exclusion. Luxembourg is a country with open doors, a beautiful testimony of non-discrimination and non-exclusion.
In this regard, the words spoken by Saint John Paul II when, in 1985, he visited Luxembourg remain relevant: "Your country," he said, "remains faithful to its vocation to be, in this important crossroads of civilizations, a place of intense exchanges and cooperation between an ever-increasing number of countries. I fervently hope that this desire for solidarity will increasingly unite national communities and extend to all the nations of the world, especially the poorest" (Address at the Welcoming Ceremony, 15 May 1985). In making these statements my own, I renew in particular the appeal for the establishment of relations of solidarity between peoples, so that all may become participants and protagonists of an orderly project of integral development.
The social doctrine of the Church indicates the characteristics of this progress and the ways to achieve it. I too have followed in the wake of this teaching by studying two major themes: care for creation and fraternity. In fact, development, to be authentic and integral, must not plunder and degrade our common home and must not leave peoples or social groups on the margins: everyone, all brothers. Wealth – let us not forget – is a responsibility. Therefore I ask that we always pay attention not to neglect the most disadvantaged nations, but rather that they be helped to recover from their conditions of impoverishment. This is a royal road to ensuring that the number of those forced to emigrate, often in inhumane and dangerous conditions, decreases. May Luxembourg, with its peculiar history, with its equally peculiar geographical position, with just under half of its inhabitants coming from other parts of Europe and the world, be of help and an example in indicating the path to take to welcome and integrate migrants and refugees. And you are a model of this.
Unfortunately, we must consider the re-emergence, even on the European continent, of fractures and enmities that, instead of being resolved on the basis of mutual good will, negotiations and diplomatic work, result in open hostilities, with their aftermath of destruction and death. It seems that the human heart does not always know how to preserve memory and that it periodically loses its way and returns to travel the tragic paths of war. We are forgetful in this. To heal this dangerous sclerosis, which makes Nations seriously ill and increases conflicts and risks throwing them into adventures with immense human costs, renewing useless massacres, we must raise our gaze upwards, it is necessary that the daily life of peoples and their leaders be animated by high and profound spiritual values. These values will prevent the madness of reason and the irresponsible return to committing the same errors of times past, aggravated further by the greater technical power that human beings now make use of. Luxembourg is right at the heart of the ability to make friends and avoid these paths. I would say: it is one of your vocations.
As Successor of the Apostle Peter, on behalf of the Church which – as Paul VI said – is an expert in humanity, I am also sent here to testify that this lifeblood, this ever new force of personal and social renewal is the Gospel. It makes us find sympathy among all nations, among all peoples: sympathy, feeling equally, suffering equally. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone is able to transform the human soul in depth, making it capable of doing good even in the most difficult situations, of extinguishing hatred and reconciling the parties in conflict. May everyone, every man and every woman, in full freedom, know the Gospel of Jesus, who reconciled God and man in his Person and who, knowing what is in the human heart, can heal its wounds. Always positive.
Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Luxembourg can show everyone the advantages of peace compared to the horrors of war, of the integration and promotion of migrants compared to their segregation – and for this I give you many thanks: that spirit of welcoming migrants and also giving them an insertion into your society, this enriches –, the benefits of cooperation between Nations in the face of the disastrous consequences of the hardening of positions and the selfish and short-sighted or even violent pursuit of one's own interests. And I would like to add one thing. I have seen the percentage of births: please, more children, more children! It is the future. I am not saying more children and fewer puppies – I say this in Italy –, but more children!
There is in fact an urgent need for those invested with authority to commit themselves with perseverance and patience to honest negotiations with a view to resolving conflicts, with a spirit willing to identify honorable compromises, which do not prejudice anything and which instead can build security and peace for all.
“Pour servir”, “To serve”: with this motto I have come among you. It refers directly and eminently to the mission of the Church, which Christ, the Lord made servant, sent into the world as the Father had sent Him. But allow me to remind you that this, serving, is also for each of you the high title of nobility. Service is also for you the main task, the style to assume every day. May the good Lord grant you to always do it with a happy and generous spirit. And those who have no faith, work for their brothers, work for their country, work for society. This is a path for everyone, always for the common good!
May Mary Mother Jesus, Consolatrix afflictorum, Patrona Civitatis et Patriae Luxemburgensis watch over Luxembourg and the world, and obtain from Jesus her Son peace and every good thing.
May God bless Luxembourg! Thank you.
Sources: Vatican News and Vatican.va - Combined reports
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