Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, marked July 4 with an appeal to Americans to receive immigrants with compassion and generosity as he made a visit to the frontlines of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.
A Message to the US
In a letter released soon after he arrived on the southern Italian island Lampedusa, the pope said that protecting human life meant welcoming, protecting, and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices, and contribution had formed part of the history of the United States.
The pope began his visit at the Door to Europe, an artwork that stands as a memorial to the thousands of migrants who have died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean.
Two high-profile leaders in the US Catholic church have told CNN that Pope Leo’s July 4 visit to the island, the main port of entry to Europe for hundreds of thousands of mostly African migrants, sends a message to the US about immigration.
In his letter to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, the pope wrote that 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.
A Visit to Lampedusa
On Lampedusa, he visited the cemetery, where there is a section for migrants, and met migrants, blessing a dedication plaque to Pope Francis, who paid an impactful visit to the island in 2013.
One of those he met, a boy by the name of Leo who arrived on the island 10 years ago having lost his mother, presented his namesake with a letter and a ball, which he said he hoped could be passed on to another migrant child.
The Chicago-born pope was greeted by a singing, flag-waving crowd for the main event of his visit: an open-air Mass.
Greeting the crowd, he called for gestures that make the world of today and tomorrow more human.
In his homily, the pope called on European leaders to put in place plans for receiving, protecting, supporting, and integrating migrants, while at the same time assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
