Speaking at the end of the visit by Pope Francis to the Council of Europe, the President of the Congress Jean-Claude Frécon (France, SOC), welcomed the Pope’s speech and his call to continue the dialogue to maintain the peace so desired by the founding fathers of the Council of Europe. “This dialogue must be pursued at all political levels – European, national, regional and local, and must also include the inter-faith level so as to encompass all the constituent elements of our societies,” said Jean-Claude Frécon. In his speech, Pope Francis called for the creation of “a sort of new agora in which all civic and religious groups can enter into free exchange, while respecting the separation of sectors and the diversity of positions”. “As President of the Congress, I give my unreserved support to the creation of such an agora tying in perfectly with the objectives of the Council of Europe and the Congress which are to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” said Jean-Claude Frécon.
