Pope Francis has likened Europe to a barren grandmother, calling the continent “elderly and haggard” in an address to the European Parliament supposedly aimed at lifting spirits in a region mired in stagnation.

The 77-year-old Argentine pontiff made the remarks during a visit to Strasbourg, pictured left, the first address to the parliament by a pope since John Paul II spoke there 26 years ago. Pope Francis told MEPs he wanted to convey a message of “hope and encouragement” to a continent brought low by sluggish growth and high unemployment.

Yet he was particularly vivid in depicting its sense of decline. “We encounter a general impression of weariness and ageing, of a Europe that is now a grandmother, no longer fertile and vibrant,” he said.