Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope, spent the Fourth of July on Lampedusa, a small island off the coast of North Africa, praying for migrants, in what was almost certainly yet another pointed gesture aimed at President Trump and his immigration policies.
The Sicilian island of Lampedusa has been inundated with tens of thousands of migrants looking to gain entry to Europe in recent years.
Leo visited a migrant cemetery on the island and held a solemn mass.
The Pope also met with migrants at the port.
At one point his zucchetto skullcap flew off as he stood on a jetty.
He blessed a plaque dedicated 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.”
The New York Post notes, “In making the visit on this particular Saturday, Leo was sending a powerfully symbolic message to the United States and Europe of the Christian obligation to uphold the dignity of every human being, migrants and the most vulnerable especially, while reminding the United States that it was founded by immigrants.”
Pope Leo sent a letter to the American people to mark the 250th anniversary of the US in which he insisted that valuing life means “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution 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.”
Lampedusa has been at the center of migration into Europe for years, due to its close proximity to North Africa.
In recent years, the number of migrants arriving in Italy, including via Lampedusa, has decreased sharply.
The Interior Ministry reported 14,464 arrivals as at Friday compared with 30,598 in the same period last year and 26,202 in 2024.
One Response
The vatican has been led by communist sympathizers for as long as I can remember. How many immigrants have they accepted to live within their walls?