France President Emmanuel Marcron travels to the funeral accompanied by his wife Brigitte. France traditionally sees itself as the oldest daughter of the Catholic Church. Background: King Chlodwig was the first non -Roman ruler in Reims in 507 AD, from then on from the French church.
Today, however, the country feels connected to the strict separation of the state and the church. Laicism – the strict religious -political neutrality of the state – has been legally anchored since 1905. It caused a sensation all the more as President Macron and his wife Brigitte took part in a service with Francis two years ago while visiting the Pope in Marseille. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the LFI left-wing party, criticized: “No, Monsieur Le Président, her place is not at the Pope Mass.” Right parties not only criticized Macron’s visit to the fair, but also the Pope’s attitude to migration. Marion Maréchal, niece of Marine Le Pen, scolded: “The Pope has no right to do politically.”
Ursula von der Leyen, as President of the EU Commission, represents the European Union at the funeral service. It had long been speculated that the twelve stars on the EU flag could allude to the Marien suffering of John. After that, Maria, the mother of Jesus, appears on the last day with a wreath of twelve stars around her head. This is officially disputed.
However, it can be said that with the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the French politician Charles de Gaulle and Italy’s Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi, Catholic politicians were involved in European integration in the 1950s. Maybe also because the Catholic Church is laid out in its organization – in contrast to the Protestant State Church System.
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Pope spoke in the European Parliament in 2014. There was also criticism back then. MEP Fabio de Masi (then Left Party, today BSW), himself Catholic, defended the appearance. He saw in the papal encyclical “Evangelii Gaudium”, even “the Roman variant of our party program”. Francis always surprised.
Unexpected encouragement from the left, expected criticism from right. Italy’s post -fascist head of government Giorgia Meloni criticized Pope Francis about his attitude in migration policy. But the relationship relaxed. Meloni Francis invited to the G7 summit in Sicily last year. Finally, after a meeting with the Pope, she explained: “He seemed very tired, so I didn’t stay with him for long. Despite his precarious state of health, he had not lost his humor.”
Meloni has a special task for the funeral service on Saturday. She has to coordinate the security of the many prominent guests who arrive for burial.
