The 28 heads of state and their European Union leaders turned to the pope over their plans to revive the struggling political and economic bloc on March 24. They believe the Pontiff can provide them with the “leadership” they are lacking to help solve the debilitating crisis tearing the bloc apart.
One pro-EU think-tank official said that, with Barack Obama gone from the White House, the head of the Catholic Church was the “only moral authority” European politicians had left to follow. They were seeking “divine intervention” via the pope to address the bloc’s growing problems. EU leaders discussed their plans with Pope Francis in Rome ahead of holding their own debate on which of the “pathways” to choose.
Meanwhile, Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the European Commission, unveiled an historic white paper laying out five “pathways to unity” for the future of the project in a desperate attempt to turn its fortunes around. EU sources said the document would be a “birth certificate for the EU at 27” and would mark Brussels’ first major attempt at reform without Britain as a key player.
Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, raised the prospect of consulting the pope on which path to follow. He told delegates at a conference in Valetta that the Pontiff could “provide leadership that politicians miss” as the bloc grapples with crises as varied as migration, terrorism, economic instability and Brexit.
He added: “I do think [Pope Francis] is the ultimate world leader that within the circumstances has the skills and the vision to say things that transcend the obvious and banalities we all say in politics.”
“All the World Wondered… Revelation 13:3.