France, Sept. 28 -- The Pope will travel to Metz on Monday, where he is due to attend an interfaith gathering and address a conference entitled "At the roots of Europe, for peace and unity".

The choice of the eastern French city is closely linked to Schuman, who helped lay the foundations of what would become the European Union, and spent much of his life in the Moselle region.

The visit comes as Europe faces war at its borders in Ukraine, geopolitical tensions and growing concern over disinformation and political division within the EU - giving fresh resonance to Schuman's belief that lasting peace depended on practical cooperation between former rivals.

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