ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE PAUL VI
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE 22nd SESSION OF THE UNION OF CAPITAL CITIES
OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY *

Wednesday, 22 September 1971

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are honoured and very happy to welcome here this morning the mayors, burgomasters and President of the Council of the six capitals of the European Community, on the occasion of the thirteenth plenary session of the U.C.E.A. which is being held in Rome at present, with the transfer of the presidential powers. On this tenth anniversary of your Union, how can we fail to approve the intuition of Mr. Lucien Cooremans who took the initiative of implementing a new and very concrete stage in the construction of Europe? Others contribute at the level of agricultural, industrial and commercial cooperation, and by endeavouring to harmonise the political institutions. Your activity is on the principal plane, with everything that capitals represent, these large cities of standard design, the seats of the central power, and to an increasing extent centres of exchange with the regional metropolises.

By promoting numerous technical session or cultural meetings, you have already drawn the populations together, which always delights Us, as an indispensable stage towards the creation of a more brotherly world. And above all you study together the many problems with which your administration have to cope. May you help one another, through these disinterested exchanges, to master tentacular phenomena, such as urban transport, which you have just been studying, in order to maintain or to create more human conditions of life for our great cities.

Yes, We strongly encourage municipal officials in this promotion of the public welfare, which is so near our heart, and expressing the best wishes for the achievements of the U.C.E.A., We implore the abundant Blessing of Almighty God on each of the delegates present here and on all your dear ones.

*ORa n.40 p.2.