Emmanuel Macron and Pope Francis, in June 2018. - Alessandra Tarantino / AP / SIPA

Emmanuel Macron will discuss this Tuesday with Pope Francis, then with representatives of religions and secular associations for the second time since the start of the coronavirus crisis, said the Elysee.

The telephone interview with the pope is scheduled for 4 p.m., one hour before the audio conference with religious and lay leaders in the presence of Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. This is intended to reflect on "the moral cohesion of the country in the face of the crisis" and "the means to rebound," said the entourage of the president.

Religious festivals without worshipers

In his Easter message on April 12, Pope Francis had proposed "to reduce" or even "cancel" the debt of poor countries, a request that joins that of Emmanuel Macron to cancel the debt of African countries for their allow a better fight against the crisis.

Emmanuel Macron already met François during a visit to the Vatican in June 2018, before speaking with him by phone in May 2019.

On March 23, during the first meeting with representatives of cults, Freemasons and secular associations, Emmanuel Macron had warned that the religious holidays of April (Jewish and Christian Easter, beginning of Ramadan) should be done " without gathering ”to avoid spreading the virus.

Get the president's attention

The same participants should be present on Tuesday, including the president of the Protestant Federation of France François Clavairoly, the president of the Conference of Bishops of France Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, the chief rabbi of France Haïm Korsia, the president of the French Council of worship Muslim Mohammed Moussaoui, the co-president of the Union of French Buddhists Olivier Reigen Wang-Genh as well as the orthodox metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis.

In a statement Monday evening, the Protestant Federation of France (FPF) said it wanted to draw the president's attention to the "ecological, united and democratic transformation" it deems necessary. Believing that "a return to the status quo would worsen climate change, the destruction of biodiversity and social inequalities", the FPF claims "that the day after signs a civilizational change and the invention of a new paradigm".

She will also mention her "deep concern" concerning "Travelers and in particular (the) Gypsy evangelicals (...) so that they are not subject to additional discriminatory measures during this pandemic".

"What is the meaning of this meeting"?

Also invited were representatives of the National Federation of Free Thought, the Comité Laïcité République, the Grand Lodge of France, the Grand Orient of France Jean-Philippe Hubsch and the Grand Lodge of Women of France. The deputy director of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Frédéric Worms, as well as the sociologist Laëtitia Atlani-Duault, member of the Scientific Committee set up by the Head of State were also present at the first meeting.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) reacted to the announcement of Tuesday's exchange by asking in a tweet: "What is the meaning of this meeting and this mixture of genres? You have no shame ? "

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  • Covid 19
  • Religion
  • Society
  • Pope Francis
  • Coronavirus
  • Emmanuel Macron