The popes and Europe. From the Italian to the non-European pontificate

In the last forty years the Roman papacy has undergone profound transformations. After a long tradition of Italian popes, a Slav and a German one have been elected, followed by the election of the first non-European pope since the eighth century. The relationship between the popes and the idea of European integration has thus experienced several seasons. Indeed, the popes who succeeded at the head of the Catholic Church had non-linear evolutionary interpretations of the role, the boundaries and destinies that Europe was called upon to have. The essay analyzes these interpretations that identify the relations between the destinies and the borders of the continent within the particular visions of the popes from Pius XII to Francis.