Pope Leo says Garman far right’s views on Christianity ‘not authentic’

Pope Leo XIV said Monday that many views held by the far right regarding Christian teaching and the role of faith in public life do not represent an authentic expression of Christianity. The pope made these comments during an in-flight press conference while traveling from France to Rome.

The pope was responding to a question from Ludwig Ring-Eifel of the German Catholic newspaper KNA about the decline of the Catholic Church in Germany and the rise of extremist political parties. Pope Leo suggested there may be a relationship between the growth of far-right groups and the decline of Christian practice in the country, noting that some of these groups are becoming increasingly extreme.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) recently won nearly 44 percent of the vote in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and performed well in other state elections, including in Berlin. The AfD is primarily based in former East Germany and has faced accusations of supporting neo-Nazis.