Pope: Mediterranean must be “a cradle of life, not a grave”

“Do not be afraid,” Pope Leo XIV told the 34 delegates of the Mediterranean Youth Council. This organization was an initiative of the Italian Church inspired by the major meetings on the Mediterranean in Bari (2020) and Florence (2022). Coming from 20 countries close to the Mediterranean—Spain, Algeria, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Slovenia, France, etc.—these young Catholics worked all week on the themes of peace, the environment, and fraternity.

“You are proof that dialogue is possible, that differences are a source of enrichment and not a motive for conflict, and that others are always our brothers and sisters, never strangers or, worse, enemies,” said Leo XIV.

The new pope didn’t hide the difficulty of the task in this “world rent by conflict and violence, where an arms race and the will to power prevail over international law and the common good.” But he insisted: “For believers, the future is not one of walls and barbed wire, but one of mutual acceptance.”

Echoing the intuition of Giorgio La Pira (1904-1977), Leo XIV recalled that the former mayor of Florence was convinced that “peace in the Mediterranean region could be the beginning and, as it were, the basis of peace among all the nations of the world.”

The head of the Catholic Church then expressed his hope that this sea would be a “cradle of life, and not a grave for the dead.” Pope Francis repeatedly used this phrase to denounce the indifference shown towards the thousands of people who have drowned in the Mediterranean while attempting to reach European shores. From 2014 to 2020, more than 20,000 migrants died there, according to the UN.

Alternating between Italian and English in his speech, Leo XIV expressed his confidence in the new generation to cultivate peace. “Peace is on the agenda of international leaders, it is the subject of global discussions, but sadly, it often gets reduced to a mere slogan,” he warned. He invited young people to be “patient builders of unity where polarization and enmity prevail” and “voice of those who have no voice in calling for justice and respect for human dignity.”

Romain, 24, sent by his bishop in Montpellier to participate in the Council, was “particularly touched” by the Pope's words. “He encouraged us to take care of our relationships, our families, and our communities,” he told I.MEDIA.

After studying linguistics, Romain—who is now a potter—decided to devote a year of civic service to peace in the Mediterranean. He became involved in the Med25 project and the odyssey of the ship Bel Espoir. This 29-meter three-masted vessel set sail from Barcelona last March with the mission of connecting the five shores of the Mediterranean with young people from all around on board. Romain made the first leg of the journey to Morocco.

“When I heard Pope Leo XIV speak this morning, I closed my eyes. He put into words what I had experienced on the Bel Espoir, things that were very concrete, very simple. Yes, peace begins with closeness,” said the young man, who thanked the pope in French.

In his speech, Leo XIV quoted Charles de Foucauld, canonized by Pope Francis in 2022. To encourage young people not to give up, the new pope assured them that “God also uses headwinds to bring us to port.”

At the end of October, Leo XIV may receive news from Bel Espoir. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Nostra aetate—the Church's declaration that renewed its relationship with other religions—a delegation of participants in the Med25 project is expected to meet with the American pontiff.

The Bel Espoir adventure is principally supported by the Diocese of Marseille and its archbishop, Jean-Marc Aveline. The French cardinal was commissioned by Pope Francis to support peace initiatives in the Mediterranean.