Robert Schuman had a deep veneration for the Mother of God

Robert Schuman (1886-1963) was a French statesman who served as Finance Minister in 1946, during a difficult period of economic recovery in France. In August 1948, he took over the cabinet of Foreign Affairs, and dreamed of European unity:

"Europe will not happen at once, it will be done by concrete achievements, first by creating actual solidarity." The culmination of his whole life happened with his famous “Declaration” of May 9, 1950, which constitutes the birth certificate of the European Union.

"Europe is not the negation of the motherland," says Robert Schuman. "In the same way that the motherland is not the negation of the hometown."

In 1958, he was unanimously elected President of the European Parliamentary Assembly. German Chancellor Adenauer once said: "It is thanks to Schuman’s wisdom and courage that the foundations of reconciliation between our two peoples and the building of a united Europe were laid."

After his funeral mass in the Metz Cathedral, his coffin was set down in front of a statue of the Madonna and Child, because Schuman had a profound devotion for the Mother of God. As a matter of fact, he often said that he had learned a great deal about the Blessed Virgin from the writings of Saint Louis de Montfort.

Adapted for A Moment with Mary from Pourquoi devenir chrétien? (Why become a Christian?) by Jeanne Tallier, in the Legion of Mary "L'Etoile" (Star) magazine, issue #162