Pope Francis on Sunday warned worshippers against “ideological temptations and populists” and said he feared for the state of democracy, as French voters went to the polls on Sunday.
The Pope was speaking during a short visit to Trieste in Italy before a 12-day trip to Asia.
"Democracy is not in good health in the world today," he said during a speech at the city's convention centre to close a national Catholic event.
His comments came as France was on Sunday holding its second round of a snap parliamentary election, in which the far-right National Rally party (RN) is expected to take the largest share of the vote.
Though he did not mention the election, or the RN, he said ideologies are ultimately dangerous no matter how attractive they may seem.
"Ideologies are seductive. Some people compare them to the Pied Piper of Hamelin: they seduce but lead you to deny yourself," he said, speaking of the German fairy tale.
Highlighting the impact of populist ideology on society’s most vulnerable, he added: "The culture of rejection creates a city where there is no place for the poor, the unborn, the fragile, the sick, children, women, the young."
Ahead of last month's European Parliament elections, bishops in several countries had also warned about the rise in populism and nationalism, with far-right parties already holding the reins to power in Italy, Hungary and the Netherlands.
The Pope urged people to "move away from polarisations that impoverish" and hit out at "self-referential power".
There has been a high turnout at the French vote, with almost 27 per cent of the electorate arriving before midday, according to French Interior Ministry figures.
Polling suggests the RN is unlikely to win an outright majority, raising the chances of a hung parliament.
