Pope Leo XIV Urges U.S. To Welcome, Protect Migrants On Lampedusa July 4

Pope Leo XIV spent July 4 on Lampedusa, Sicily, praying at a migrant cemetery and celebrating Mass as he sought to honor “the tens of thousands of people who have died trying to reach Europe to find freedom and prosperity.”

“Pope Leo XIV has urged Europe to do more to protect and integrate migrants during a visit to Italy’s Lampedusa island, a key arrival point for people crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa”

Al Jazeera

The U.S.-born pope, who has “sparred with the Trump administration over its immigration crackdown,” traveled to the Italian island that the AP describes as the main port of entry into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants crossing by boat from Libya or Tunisia.

Al Jazeera

In a letter sent to Americans on the July 4 anniversary, Leo insisted that protecting human 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.”

At the port, Leo met with some migrants and then walked alone onto the jagged jetty rocks, before blessing a plaque dedicating the dock to Pope Francis, who visited in 2013.

AP also reported that the Interior Ministry said Italy had 14,464 arrivals as of Friday, compared with 30,598 in the same period last year and 26,202 in 2024, while the International Organization for Migration has recorded more than 35,000 missing migrants in the Mediterranean since 2014.

CNN said Pope Leo marked July 4 with an appeal to Americans to receive immigrants with “compassion and generosity” during his visit to the migrant frontline island of Lampedusa.

In the pope’s letter released soon after he arrived, CNN quoted him saying protecting human life meant “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants,” whose “hopes, sacrifices and contribution” had formed part of the history of the United States.

AP News

CNN reported that Leo began his visit at the “Door to Europe,” a memorial to the thousands of migrants who have died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean.

Among those buried in the cemetery, CNN said there is a section for migrants including Yusuf Ali Kanneh, a six-month-old who drowned in a migrant boat wreck in 2020.

CNN also described a boy named Leo who arrived on the island 10 years ago after losing his mother, and said the letter he gave the pope began, “I’m super excited to meet you! 10 years ago my story began here in Lampedusa.”

Al Jazeera reported that Pope Leo urged Europe to do more to protect and integrate migrants during his visit to Lampedusa, calling the trip a symbolic appeal during Mass.

“- Published Pope Leo XIV has called on European leaders to rise to the "momentous challenge" of handling migration as he visited the Italian island of Lampedusa”

BBC

Speaking during the service, Al Jazeera quoted Leo saying, “Europe is capable of addressing the crisis in this region in a comprehensive manner,” and urged immediate relief matched with a long-term plan to “receive, protect, support and integrate migrants.”

Al Jazeera said the pope began by praying at a cemetery where migrants who died at sea are buried and later visited the “Door of Europe” memorial dedicated to those who risk their lives trying to reach the continent.

The outlet also tied the message to broader policy shifts, saying the pope’s visit came as governments in Europe and the United States have placed growing emphasis on border controls, detention and deportations.

RFI reported that Leo urged European leaders to do more for people fleeing war and poverty, and quoted him telling a crowd of faithful, “Europe is capable of addressing the crisis – in this region – in a comprehensive manner,” integrating immediate relief into a long-term plan.