Pope Francis: Europe’s significant task is to keep democracy alive

The head of the Roman Catholic Church has criticized the state of the European society.

Pope Francis stated so on Tuesday addressing the European Parliament, “Interfax” reports.

Europe is regarded as “somewhat elderly and haggard”, it is “less and less a protagonist”, the Pontiff said. “It is a message of encouragement to return to the firm conviction of the founders of the European Union, who envisioned a future based on the capacity to work together in bridging divisions and in fostering peace and fellowship between all the peoples of this continent.”

According to Pope Francis, all forms of human loneliness are an acute problem for the EU.

The Pope has also called upon not seeing a human as a machine, and to focus on a human person, not economy. “The time has come to work together in building a Europe which revolves not around the economy, but around the sacredness of the human person, around inalienable values.” Pope Francis finds it necessary to pay attention to family, educational institutions and ecology, and “to restore dignity to labour by ensuring proper working conditions.”

The Pontiff also spoke on problems of migration. The European Union needs to adopt “a united response” to migration. “We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery. The boats landing daily on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance,” he said.

The Pope also stated that it is an important task to keep democracy alive, and it requires avoiding some globalizing tendencies.

Photo: AP