Pope can be more important in crises

Inaugural visit

Steinmeier: Pope can be an important intermediary in crises

For the first time, the Federal President meets the new Pope Leo XIV. Privacy is about international herds of crisis – and an invitation to Berlin.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sees Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican an important mediator in international crises. There are only a few sizes worldwide that have influence on conflict parties, said Steinmeier after his private viganism in the Vatican. “We cannot do without if the Pope and the Vatican offers his help here.”

Pope Leo XIV had repeatedly expressed the willingness to receive representatives of Russia and Ukraine for negotiations in the Vatican and also personally met Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj.

Steinmeier reported that he had very encouraged the Pope to capture this role. “I think we must have no doubt that the Pope is willing to throw his weight into the balance, but he shares the analysis that so far and at the moment there is no willingness from the Russian side,” said the Federal President.

For Steinmeier, it was the first personal encounter with the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide since the American election to the Pope in May. Steinmeier himself is Protestant faith. He also spoke to Leo XIV about the loss of members of the Catholic Church, the Federal President reported. “It not only has to get the Pope and the Vatican. We also have to worry about this, because my firm conviction is and remains, the churches can and must play a positive role in the cohesion of our societies,” said Steinmeier. He invited the Pope to a visit to Germany.

After the appointment in the Vatican, the Federal President wanted to visit the three United Nations organizations that are based in Rome: the World Food Program (WFP), the Nutrition and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Steinmeier critically commented on the reduction of international help. “That is why a visit to the international organizations here in Rome, above all, is a sign that these international organizations earn our support,” he emphasized.

At the same time, the Federal President admitted that the economic environment had also changed in Germany. The public budgets suffered from the economic situation and the customs dispute with the USA. “I think we need to calm these public debates, we need rules in international trade again,” said Steinmeier. “And that is the perspective that can cause states like Germany to be able to mobilize more money for international support, such as those for the world nutrition program.”