ERR in Strasbourg: the Pope sounded like a Eurosceptic
Pope Francis told the European Parliament on Tuesday that Europe has replaced its charm with bureaucracy.
A quarter of a century earlier Pope John Paul II called Europe a beacon of civilization at a speech in Strasbourg, France, but the new Pope was for more critical, sounding more like a Eurosceptic, said ERR correspondent in Brussels, Johannes Tralla.
Pope Francis said there is a danger that Europe is slowly losing its soul. “Great ideas which once inspired Europe seemed to have lost their magic. They are being replaced by the technicalities of bureaucratic institutions. With that we see more selfish lifestyles, characterized by unsustainable abundance and ignorance towards the world. Especially towards the poor.”
Tralla said personal dignity was the focus of his speech. “A united answer must be found to immigration. We can not allow the Mediterranean to become a large grave,” he said, adding that Europe does not consider the lives of immigrants and prefers to develop slavery and social tensions.