Pope Francis: Europe is 'elderly and haggard'

Pope Francis: Europe is 'elderly and haggard'
(Image credit: Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Pope Francis delivered an address to the European Parliament on Tuesday, saying the continent is "elderly and haggard." His comments were a response to Europe's struggles with youth unemployment, migrants from Africa and the Middle East, and conflict at its eastern borders, The Wall Street Journal reports.

"We encounter a general impression of weariness and aging, of a Europe that is now a 'grandmother,' no longer fertile and vibrant," Pope Francis told the parliament. Francis is the first pope to visit the European Parliament since John Paul II in 1988, and the first non-European pope to do so in centuries.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.