Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square: numerous beatifications
Photo:
Andreas SOLARO / AFP
The politician Robert Schuman, known as the architect of European integration, is on the way to being beatified by the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis approved a list of persons for the trial, which includes the former French Foreign Minister, who died in 1963.
The Vatican announced.
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Robert Schuman in February 1958
Photo: Sidney Smart / AP
Schuman, who was born in what is now Luxembourg and had a German father, gave a seminal speech on May 9, 1950 about his ideas for cooperation in Europe.
Between 1947 and 1953, Schuman was a member of all rapidly changing French governments, first as finance minister, then as prime minister and foreign minister.
His proposals are considered the cornerstone of the European Union.
As France's foreign minister after the Second World War, Schuman envisaged a "coal and steel union" between France and Germany, that is, official supervision of steel and coal production in both countries.
The joint management of the central materials of the armaments industry by the former hereditary enemies was a policy of peace for him.
The instrument should become the nucleus of European unification.
German Jesuit on the blessed list
According to the church media portal "Vatican News", Schuman's work was strongly influenced by the Catholic faith.
The Strasbourg Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950 is also considered to be his work.
According to Catholic tradition, beatification is of less importance than canonization.
It is necessary in the processes of religious honor if someone is to be declared a saint later.
The new list also includes the mystic and German Jesuit Philipp Jeningen, who was born in Eichstätt in Bavaria in 1642.
dpa / rai
