Pope Francis joined a growing chorus of world leaders reacting to Brexit Friday morning, invoking the world’s new “responsibility” in the wake of the decision.
“It was the will expressed by the people, and this requires great responsibility from all of us to guarantee the good of the people of the United Kingdom and also the good and the coexistence of the entire continent of Europe,” Pope Francis said to journalists on a flight to Armenia, America Magazine reports. The Pope’s remarks were brief, and he has generally been seen as supportive of European unity. He’s argued in the past for protections for European migrants.
Citizens of the United Kingdom voted this week to leave the European Union, sending shockwaves through the global economy.
Read More: Obama: Brexit Won’t Affect ‘Special Relationship’ Between U.K. and U.S.
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Write to Tessa Berenson at tessa.Rogers@time.com