Pope Leo ends France trip in Metz, spotlighting Schuman and EU unity

The pontiff chose Metz , a city long shaped by Europe’s shifting borders and conflicts, to honour Robert Schuman , the French Catholic statesman who became one of the architects of European integration after the Second World War . At a gathering titled “At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity”, Leo met European leaders and senior figures including confirmed Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden , Prince Albert II of Monaco , Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and former European Commission president Jean‑Claude Juncker . Macron , who had originally been scheduled to attend only Leo’s morning speech, also joined the Mass at Saint‑Étienne Cathedral and the official farewell at the airport after rearranging his schedule.