Many of the far-right’s views on Christian teaching and the place and role of Christian faith in public life are not an “authentic expression of Christianity,” Pope Leo XIV said on Monday.
The pontiff was answering a question from Ludwig Ring-Eifel of KNA, a major German Catholic newspaper, during the in-flight press conference en route to Rome from France.
Ring-Eifel asked Leo about his views on the steady decline of the Catholic Church in Germany and the “astonishing rise of extremist parties” in the country.
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Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) earlier this month won nearly 44 percent in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and had a good showing in other state elections, including the capital Berlin.
The AfD is primarily based in the former East Germany and has been accused of supporting neo-Nazis. It has even been shunned by other right-wing parties in Europe, including France’s National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen.
In his response to Ring-Eifel, Pope Leo said the decline in the practice of Christianity in Germany may be tied to the rise of the far-right.
“It would be interesting to study, analyze if and how there may be a relationship, for example, between the growth of these groups on the far right and even the far right is being splintered now as you see the one particular group is becoming even much more extreme with other so-called far-right groups,” the pope told journalists.
“At the same time with some expression of a combination of these far-right points of view with a certain kind of religion, which in not only my view, but I mean both the leaders of the Catholic Church and the Protestant Church in Germany have spoken out about [how] that’s not an authentic expression of Christianity,” he continued.
“I hope deeply, and hopefully the Church can also be a part of this—that we can find ways of reaching out to a majority of people of goodwill who will understand how important that their commitment, even in terms of participating in political processes, will enable them to make clear choices for the common good and not for extremist ideas that perhaps will do much more damage than we are even aware of right now,” Leo said.
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“It is our part as a Church, social doctrine of the Church, to talk about, teach about, preach about what we believe are these life-giving values and not destruction, division, and hatred,” he added.
However, Pope Leo questioned the suggestion that the Church is “dying” in Germany.
“People have said that about France in the past,” Leo noted, “and yet we saw what happened over the past four days,” during which there were crowds significantly above expectations and powerfully moving displays of popular devotion.
“I believe that if we find the true missionary spirit and the right way to go about it,” Leo said, “there are still many, many people in Germany who want to live and celebrate their Christian and Catholic faith.”
“I’m optimistic about that, although I recognize the problems, I recognize the different causes that have hit the Church very hard, but it’s hit the—if you will—the evangelical or Protestant Church very hard as well, and it has hit society in the much the same way,” Leo saidd, “but I do hope to reach out.”
Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome
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