Ceremony of Award of the Charlemagne Prize 2016 to Pope Francis, at the Vatican. Speeches by Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, and Donald TUSK, President of the European Council. Atmosphere shots and Pope Francis

EU - Holy See (T)

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

speech

ceremony

MERKEL, Angela (DE)

TUSK, Donald (PL)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

FRANCIS (AR, Pope)

Charlemagne Prize (T)

Vatican

Charlemagne Prize

Ceremony of Award of the Charlemagne Prize to Pope Francis: extracts from the speeches by Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, and Donald TUSK, President of the European Council

Atmosphere shots before the start of the ceremony, arrival of personalities: Angela Merkel, German chancellor. 10 shots

Entering of His Holiness, Pape Francis, applause.

Award of the Charlemagne Prize to Pope Francis (3 shots)

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Pope Francis gives us hope for the future when he says that 'our problems can become powerful forces for unity'. He showed all of us - and in particular those heads of government who are refusing to accept Muslim refugees on the grounds that their country is Christian - what solidarity means in practice, what it means to be human, when, following his visit to Lesbos, he gave shelter in the Vatican to three Syrian families.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, And when I see the tens, nay hundreds, of thousands of volunteers who, in Lesbos, Lampedusa, Munich and elsewhere, are distributing food and water, and clothes and blankets, to the men, women and children who have sought refuge from war here with us in Europe, when I see these people, I know that Europe's future is in good hands. I say that because these people are embodying the European values of justice, solidarity and respect for human dignity, they are showing the refugees and the world Europe's human face.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, After all, the woes of the world are our concern too. A more stable world means a stronger Europe. It never was, and never will be, an easy task. But we must not let ourselves be guided by fear and the temptation to retreat into our shells. The European project will never cease to be relevant. Let us summon up again the courage of our predecessors; the courage to face up to difficulties in order to overcome them and to shape history rather than be swept along by it.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Fortune favours the brave. We owe it to our young Europeans. I know how generous and determined they are. I can hear all those young people who have never lived through war but have witnessed and endured the destructive hatred of others. They have resolved to reject intolerance and defend our way of life in all its diversity, our democratic and open societies where we are free to think and travel, united in our differences

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, We were and will be Europeans. I would not like this to be just a statement of geographical nature, nor an exclusively political declaration. It is also, and perhaps foremost, a statement of axiology and metaphysics. In a sense, Europe is an article of faith. Why should we be proud of Europe? Why is it worth our concern, and &mdash; if need be &mdash; our protection and defence? It is because the spirit of love and freedom is still present here. Please forgive me the perhaps exaggerated phrase, but let the solemn character of this ceremony be my excuse. We can be proud of Europe, because, Holy Father, Europe still resembles you. If it stops resembling you, it will be reduced to a mere geographical term and a political void. Simply speaking Holly Father, You are the Pape of hope for all of us! Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), POPE FRANCIS, I dream of a Europe that is young, still capable of being a mother: a mother who has life because she respects life and offers hope for life. I dream of a Europe that cares for children, that offers fraternal help to the poor and those newcomers seeking acceptance because they have lost everything and need shelter. I dream of a Europe that is attentive to and concerned for the infirm and the elderly, lest they be simply set aside as useless. I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being. I dream of a Europe where young people breathe the pure air of honesty

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Pope Francis, where they love the beauty of a culture and a simple life undefiled by the insatiable needs of consumerism, where getting married and having children is a responsibility and a great joy, not a problem due to the lack of stable employment. I dream of a Europe of families, with truly effective policies concentrated on faces rather than numbers, on birth rates more than rates of consumption. I dream of a Europe that promotes and protects the rights of everyone, without neglecting its duties towards all. I dream of a Europe of which it will not be said that its commitment to human rights was its last utopia.