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

Many of the far-right’s views on Christian teaching and the place and role of Christian faith in public life are not an “authentic expression of Christianity,” Pope Leo XIV said on Monday.

The pontiff was answering a question from Ludwig Ring-Eifel of KNA, a major German Catholic newspaper, during the in-flight press conference en route to Rome from France.

Ring-Eifel asked Leo about his views on the steady decline of the Catholic Church in Germany and the “astonishing rise of extremist parties” in the country.

RELATED: German far-right wins state elections after local church’s warnings

Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) earlier this month won nearly 44 percent in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and had a good showing in other state elections, including the capital Berlin.

The AfD is primarily based in the former East Germany and has been accused of supporting neo-Nazis. It has even been shunned by other right-wing parties in Europe, including France’s National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen.

In his response to Ring-Eifel, Pope Leo said the decline in the practice of Christianity in Germany may be tied to the rise of the far-right.

“It would be interesting to study, analyze if and