ROME – Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, a close ally of Pope Francis, is trying to clarify a provocative warning he made that Europe was at risk of an “Islamic conquest” because it had squandered its Christian heritage.

Pope Francis issued a wake-up call in a frank address (or was it a scolding?) he delivered Nov. 25 to the European Parliament. Good for him. But let������Ƶapp not be smug about it. His knuckle-rap that a “self-absorbed” Europe needs to recover its soul applies with equal weight to North America.