At the opening of the Plenary Session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament paid tribute to the life and legacy of His Holiness Pope Francis.
On the 26th of April the world came together to mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. Together with a number of you, we represented this House at the Pope’s funeral in Rome, where hundreds of thousands gathered to commemorate His life and honour His legacy.
Pope Francis will be remembered for His inspirational leadership, moral authority and kindness, taking every opportunity to speak up for a more humane, more peaceful and unified world. In 2014, His Holiness addressed this Plenary and called for every Member to “work to make Europe rediscover the best of itself.”
On the occasion of his visit, Pope Francis wrote a message in the Book that collects the signatures and thoughts of the highest personalities who have visited the Institution throughout its history. I would like to share with you the words he wanted to dedicate to us: “I hope that the European Parliament will increasingly be the place where each of its Members will contribute to ensuring that Europe, aware of its past, looks with confidence to the future in order to live the present with hope.”
Whilst this House grieves His loss, we also remember His call to action and work together every day for a better, more compassionate and courageous Europe. I now invite you to join me in a moment of silence.
You can read the President's speech in Italian here.