Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff in history, spent the Fourth of July on the Italian island of Lampedusa – a gesture that sent a powerful message to both Europe and the United States on the Christian obligation to uphold the dignity of migrants.
The trip came two weeks after the EU approved tougher migrant rules allowing stricter border controls and broader detention powers, marking a wider trend of governments hardening their stance on undocumented migration – including in the UK, Italy and the US under the Trump administration, with which the Pope has sparred over its immigration crackdown.
“Pope Leo XIV, first US-born pope, spent July 4 on Lampedusa urging Europe to do more for migrants.”
Lampedusa, a treeless strip of rock 5.6 miles long, sits 90 miles off Tunisia’s coast and is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland. It is the main port of entry into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean each year. More than 1,400 people have died or gone missing while attempting the crossing this year, including 28 children, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.
The Pope began his visit at a cemetery, where he prayed at the graves of migrants who had perished on the journey. He then stood at the “Door of Europe” memorial before celebrating a solemn Mass for residents and new arrivals. At the port, he met with some migrants and walked alone onto the jagged jetty rocks, the wind whipping his cassock and blowing off his zucchetto skullcap as he looked out to sea. He blessed a plaque dedicating the dock to Pope Francis, who visited in 2013.
“This is a place where gestures speak louder than words,” Leo said. “But for gestures to be human, they need a heart.”
In his homily, wearing vestments decorated with images of waves, the Pope urged European leaders to address migration comprehensively. “Those who have lost their lives in this sea are victims both of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made,” he said.
He called for integrating immediate relief with long-term strategies to “receive, protect, support and integrate migrants” while assisting developing countries “so that no one is forced to emigrate.”
As the United States marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with rallies and fireworks, Leo also sent a letter to Americans, insisting that protecting the unborn and all human life means “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contributions have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning.”
“To receive them with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person,” he wrote.
Kandeh Abdourahman, a migrant who arrived in Lampedusa in 2015, told Reuters: “The pope’s visit speaks to every one of us.”