On 8 July 2013, Pope Francis gave a speech in Lampedusa, awakening political and public consciousness on the refugee crisis within the EU. On 17 April 2016, he returned from Lesbos with 12 Syrian refugees. It was a message for a united  and humanistic Europe.

As the refugee crisis is becomes increasingly pressing Pope Francis received the Charlemagne Prize for “his efforts to promote the European values of peace, tolerance, compassion and solidarity”.
 
On 18 May 2016, The Jacques Delors Institute, in partnership with La Croix and the Institut Catholique de Paris, organised a debate in order to explore the subjects through which Pope Francis can give a new to start to the european construction

This concern has been translated into a number of interventions made by :

Yves BERTONCINI, Directir of the Jacques Delors Institute
Corinne VALASIK, Deputy dean of the Faculté de Sciences Sociales et Economiques of the ICP 
Sébastien MAILLARD, Correspondant of La Croix in Rome, former correspondant in Bruxelles 
Enrico LETTA, Vice-president of the Jacques Delors Institute, Dean of the Sciences Po Paris PSIA and former Italian Prime minister
Sylvie GOULARD, MEP, ADLE
Monique BAUJARD, Director of the Jean-Rodhain foundation, former director of the Service national Famille et Société of the Conférence des Évêques de France
Martine FRAGER BERLET, Director of the “Master Relations européennes & lobbying” at the Institut Catholique de Paris

The debate was animated by Jean-Christophe PLOQUIN, Redactor in chief at La Croix