Pope Leo XIV went to the epicenter of Europe's migration debate on Saturday to honor the tens of thousands of people who have died trying to reach freedom and prosperity. On a trip to the Italian island of Lampedusa, where tens of thousands of migrants arrive each year, Leo urged European leaders to rise to the "momentous challenge" of handling migration, the BBC reports. "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. Leo prayed at a migrant cemetery and celebrated a solemn Mass for the island's residents and newest arrivals. He also made a plea to the US on its 250th anniversary.
In a letter to Americans, the first US-born pope wrote that protecting the unborn and all human life also means "welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning." He added, per the AP, "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." A treeless strip of rock 5.6 miles long, Lampedusa is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland and is the main port of entry into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed by boat from Libya or Tunisia, often smuggled by human traffickers.
Leo met with migrants at the port and then walked alone onto the jagged jetty rocks, the wind whipping his cassock and blowing his zucchetto skullcap off as he looked out to the sea. He blessed a plaque dedicating the dock to Pope Francis, who visited in 2013. More than 1,400 people have died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, the UN's International Organization for Migration reports. In making the visit on this particular Saturday, Leo was sending a symbolic message to the US, per the AP, while reminding the US that it was founded by immigrants.
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