During his daylong visit to Luxembourg, Pope Francis lavished high praise on the people of this small, traditionally Catholic nation, in his first address to residents in the Cercle Cité, the historic center of this city of 128,000 people.
“Luxembourg can show everyone the advantages of peace as opposed to the horrors of war, [the advantages] of the integration and promotion of migrants as opposed to their segregation, 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,” he said. The audience of his address included Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Henri, his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and 400 people composed of the country’s civil and religious authorities, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps.
He recalled the painful history of Luxembourg, which was invaded and occupied by Germany during the First and Second World Wars. After World War II, it became a founding member of what is today the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He praised the significant role it has played and continues to play on the European continent.
“Since the end of the Second World War,” he said, “your country has drawn upon its history and distinguished itself in its commitment to building a united and fraternal Europe in which each country, be it large or small, might have its own role, and where the divisions, quarrels and wars that have been caused by exaggerated forms of nationalism and pernicious ideologies may finally be left behind.” Going off script, he told them, “Ideologies are the enemies of democracy.”
He lamented “the reemergence even on the European continent of rifts and enmities that, instead of being resolved on the basis of mutual good will, negotiation and diplomatic efforts, are resulting in open hostilities, leading to destruction and death.” He did not mention Ukraine, but it is the worst instance of such conflict in recent years.
“It seems that the human heart does not always remember the past and periodically goes astray and returns to the tragic path of war,” he said.
Francis, who yesterday at the general audience in Rome spoke out against the escalating war in Lebanon, repeated today that “war is always a defeat for humanity.” He lamented that the investment in the arms industry provides the best returns in Europe today.
He told his Luxembourg audience:
When the logic of confrontation and violent opposition prevails, the areas on the border between conflicting powers [like Luxembourg] end up being heavily involved against their will. Yet when they finally rediscover the ways of wisdom, and opposition is replaced by cooperation, then those same areas on the border become best placed—and not merely symbolically—for identifying the needs of a new era of peace and the paths to follow.
He recalled that as pope he has focused on two major themes: care for creation and fraternity. For development “to be authentic and integral, we must not plunder or degrade our common home,” he said. Likewise, the pope continued, “we must not abandon peoples or social groups on the margins.”
Luxembourg is today a relatively rich country and a financial center in Europe. In words that echoed his speech to the Popular Movements last Friday, the pope told authorities in Luxembourg, “Let us not forget that having wealth includes responsibility.” He called for “constant vigilance” so the most disadvantaged nations are not neglected and said this is one way “to ensure a decrease in the number of those forced to emigrate, often in inhuman and dangerous conditions.”
Francis praised Luxembourg for what he called its “open doors” to migrants; just under half the population of this country of 654,000 are migrants, not only from the European Union but other countries as well.
“I am here to testify that the Gospel is the life source and the ever-fresh force of personal and social renewal,” he said, because “it alone is capable of transforming the human soul, making it capable of doing good even in difficult situations, and of extinguishing hatred and reconciling parties engaged in conflict.”
Francis’ words echoed those of Luxembourg’s prime minister, Luc Frieden, a graduate of Cambridge and Harvard, who in his welcome speech said Pope Francis is “a moral authority recognized the world over” and emphasized that “religions do not exist outside the bounds of society either. They are part of it, and must contribute, in a spirit of mutual respect, to the enrichment of our debates on ethical, societal and environmental issues.”
Mr. Frieden told the pope, “Luxembourg is a country deeply committed to the principles of international law and a country whose history has been strongly influenced by Judeo-Christian traditions and values.” He added that “the Luxembourg Constitution rightly proclaims, as the first fundamental right, the inviolability of human dignity.”
The audience broke into prolonged applause when Francis finished speaking and applauded again as he left the hall in his wheelchair.
It was wet and rather cold when Pope Francis arrived at Luxembourg airport on Thursday morning, Sept. 26, but he was given a warm welcome by the Grand Duke and Duchess as well as Cardinal Jean Claude Hollerich, S.J., and 100 young people, many of whom Francis greeted individually. Hundreds also gathered to greet him outside the Cercle Cité, crowded under umbrellas.
Some 10,000 people sought to get tickets to be in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame when Pope Francis greeted the Catholic community this afternoon before departing the country, but the church holds less than 500 people, so most had to either gather in the rain or watch on television. Large crowds lined the streets as he departed as well, including Argentines and young people who had been at World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023.
In his talk at the cathedral, the pope recalled that it was the 400th anniversary of devotion toOur Lady of Luxembourg, Comforter of the Afflicted, whose statue is in the church. “This Marian title corresponds well to the theme you have chosen for this visit: ‘To serve,’” the pope said. “Consoling and serving are in fact two fundamental aspects of the love that Jesus has given to us, the love he has entrusted to us as our mission and that he has shown as the only path to full joy.”
For this reason, he said, “we will ask the Mother of God to help us be missionaries, ready to bear witness to the joy of the Gospel,” conforming our hearts to hers in order “to put our lives at the service of our brothers and sisters.” He then focused on the three concepts of service, mission and joy.
“I would like to emphasize an aspect that is very urgent today, namely welcoming others,” the pope said about service. “I mention this here among you precisely because your country has a centuries-old tradition in this regard, a tradition that is still alive. We heard of it in the other testimonies and in your repeated shouts of ‘todos, todos, todos!’—‘everyone, everyone, everyone!’ Yes, the spirit of the Gospel is a spirit of welcoming, of openness to everyone; it does not admit any kind of exclusion. I encourage you, therefore, to be faithful to this legacy, and to continue to make your country a friendly home for those who knock at your door seeking help and hospitality.”
Speaking of mission, he recalled that Cardinal Hollerich, in his words of welcome, spoke about an “evolution of the church in Luxembourg in a secularized society.” Francis said, “We cannot close ourselves off in sadness, resignation or resentment. On the contrary, we must accept the challenge while remaining faithful to the church’s perennial values. We should rediscover and esteem anew these values as paths for evangelization, going beyond an approach of simple pastoral care to one of missionary proclamation.”
Finally, referring to the third concept of joy, Francis referenced the words of a young man who had shared his experience at World Youth Day. Pope Francis said,“Do you see? Our faith is full of joy, it is a ‘dance’ because we know that we are children of a God who is our friend, who wants us to be happy and united, who rejoices above all in our salvation.”
