LAMPEDUSA, Italy – Pope Leo XIV marked the 250th anniversary of the United States Independence Day on Saturday with a renewed appeal for Americans to welcome and protect immigrants, delivering the message while visiting the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, one of Europe’s most prominent gateways for migrants crossing from North Africa.
In a message addressed to the United States, the first American-born pope said that defending human life includes “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants,” urging Americans to extend compassion and generosity to those seeking refuge and opportunity.
“To receive immigrants with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person,” the pontiff said in his July 4 appeal.
The pope’s remarks came during a one-day pastoral visit to Lampedusa, an Italian island located between Tunisia, Malta and Sicily that has become a symbol of the Mediterranean migration crisis. Thousands of migrants attempt the perilous sea crossing to reach Europe each year, while many others die or disappear during the journey.
Addressing local residents, humanitarian workers and migrants gathered on the island, Pope Leo urged European governments to adopt a comprehensive approach to migration by combining emergency humanitarian assistance with long-term policies that receive, protect, support and integrate migrants. He also called for greater efforts to improve conditions in migrants’ countries of origin so fewer people are forced to flee war, poverty and instability.
The pontiff began his visit by laying flowers at a cemetery honoring migrants who lost their lives attempting the Mediterranean crossing. He later visited the “Door of Europe,” a monument dedicated to migrants and refugees, where he paused in prayer and solidarity with those who have died at sea. The visit also included meetings with newly arrived migrants, Italian Coast Guard personnel and humanitarian organizations working on the island.
According to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency cited by Reuters, 14,464 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea so far this year, with more than half landing on Lampedusa, whose resident population is approximately 6,000. The International Organization for Migration reported that more than 1,400 people, including at least 28 children, have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2026.
The visit echoed that of Pope Francis, who made Lampedusa the destination of his first trip outside Rome after his election in 2013, drawing global attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Mediterranean. Since assuming the papacy in May 2025, Pope Leo has made the protection of migrants and refugees a central priority of his ministry, repeatedly urging political leaders to uphold human dignity in shaping immigration policies.
Vatican officials said the timing of the visit was intentional, coinciding with the United States’ semiquincentennial celebration to underscore the pope’s message linking America’s historic identity as a nation of immigrants with the Catholic Church’s teaching on the dignity of every human person. The appeal followed a major address delivered a day earlier in which Pope Leo praised the United States’ long tradition of welcoming newcomers and encouraged Americans to remain faithful to the nation’s founding ideals of liberty, justice and human dignity.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
