"A friend told me: 'In France, we will have Marine Le Pen president.' I don't want to be unpleasant or tell your country what to do. But it's worrying. I'm worried about the growth of populisms. The antidote is a popular movement, and listen to this movement. We must oppose populism with popularism ": Pope Francis would have said today, quoted by the French weekly L'Obs, receiving in audience some French exponents on the themes of ecological transition.
During the meeting, according to L'Obs, the pope expressed himself in severe terms on finance.
When one of those present, the entrepreneur Eva Sadoun, told the pontiff that "the French liberal economy has destroyed 200,000 jobs", Francis replied: "Yes, but not only the economy: finance! Finance is like fog ".
During the meeting, the pontiff also launched an appeal to young people to "awaken" the citizens: "You, youth, are the protagonists of this change. In 2013, as soon as I was elected Pope, I was in Rio de Janeiro, I said to the young people "Make a mess." It is important. It is time to make a revolution. The world does not want to hear. Faced with the appeals of the young, the rulers minimize. Governments are weak. It is up to the youngest and the oldest to give them. courage".
In addition to Eva Sadoun, Cyril Dion, the guarantor of the city climate convention, a French body wanted by Emmanuel Macron to draft the climate law, and the founder of the 'Coexister' movement, Samuel Grzybowski, were present at the hearing.
The organizer of the meeting, MEP Pierre Larrouturou, who tested positive at Covid on the eve of his trip to Rome, was absent.
His political advisor, Michel Cermak, represented him.
"The Pope should take care of what is happening in the churches": this is how Marine Le Pen responds to Pope Francis' "concern" regarding the growth of "populisms", a statement that, according to the French weekly L'Obs, the pontiff would have made in on the hypothesis of a victory for Marine Le Pen in the presidential elections of 2022 in France.
"Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God", tweets the president of the Rassemblement National, inviting the Pope not to get involved in politics.
"I am convinced - states Le Pen - that many believers would be happy if the Pope dealt with what is happening in the churches rather than with the ballot boxes".
"That everyone - concluded the candidate for the Elysée for the French far right - does what it was intended for".