Vatican City, VATICAN — Pope Leo XIV met with parliamentarians from the European People’s Party (EPP) at the Vatican on Saturday, delivering a wide-ranging address that called for a return to “analogue” politics and the rejection of destructive ideologies.
The Pontiff urged the centre-right lawmakers to rediscover Europe’s Christian heritage as a unifying force rather than a source of division.
Echoing the sentiments of his predecessors, Pope Leo emphasized that politics should be the “highest form of charity,” directed toward the common good.
Okay News reports that the Pope warned against the “digital triumph” of modern life, suggesting that genuine political action requires personal contact between representatives and the people to combat the twin threats of populism and elitism.
To be a Christian engaged in politics, the Pope stated, requires a realistic perspective that starts with people’s concrete concerns. He emphasized the need for fostering dignified working conditions to encourage ingenuity in a market he described as increasingly dehumanizing and unfulfilling.
Furthermore, he spoke of enabling citizens to overcome the fear of starting a family, a concern he noted as being particularly prevalent across Europe. On the subject of migration, he urged leaders to address root causes while balancing the real capacities for integration with compassion for those who suffer.
The Pope also called for a non-ideological approach to major global challenges such as the care for creation and Artificial Intelligence, noting that while AI offers great opportunities, it is also fraught with danger.
He clarified that Christian witness in politics does not mean being overtly confessional but rather allowing the Gospel to guide difficult decisions that may not always attract easy consensus. In his concluding remarks, Pope Leo warned against a “short-circuit” of human rights that could give way to oppression, calling instead for the steadfast protection of religious freedom and conscience in every circumstance.
