Overview

• Angela Merkel revealed that Pope Francis's counsel to 'bend but stop before breaking' guided her during the 2017 G20 Summit, enabling a unified communiqué despite U.S. opposition to the Paris Agreement.
• Speaking at the Evangelischer Kirchentag in Hannover, Merkel emphasized the role of faith in providing resilience and perspective during political crises.
• She defended her 2015 statement 'Wir schaffen das,' framing it as a call for collective solidarity, not a personal guarantee, and highlighted the generosity shown by Germans during the refugee crisis.
• Merkel urged greater courage and determination to combat climate change, questioning whether she did enough during her tenure to protect the environment.
• The former Chancellor reflected on her political legacy, emphasizing the importance of moral courage and the enduring influence of Pope Francis's guidance.