Pope Leo XIV used a visit honoring St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint and patron saint of immigrants, to deliver his latest appeal on behalf of illegal immigrants. He asked Catholics to look to her example at a time when migration remains one of the defining issues of his emerging papacy.

Pope Leo’s Remarks

During an evening prayer service in Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, the northern Italian town where Cabrini was born, Leo said, “What could be more relevant today than a missionary charism dedicated to serving migrants?” He prayed at Cabrini’s tomb and urged young Catholics to learn from the saint’s life of serving immigrants, many of whom had left their homelands in search of better opportunities.

Leo also invoked his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose own papacy was defined in part by calls to welcome migrants. He asked, “Let us ask ourselves: if Mother Francesca were alive today, what would her missionary spirit tell her?”

Migration Focus

The comments are the latest in a series of migration-focused appearances that have helped define Leo’s first year as pope. Last week, Leo traveled to Spain’s Canary Islands, a major destination for migrants departing West Africa, where he met migrants and called for greater efforts to welcome and integrate people fleeing hardship and conflict.

Leo’s migration advocacy has frequently drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who has accused the pontiff of venturing into politics and sharply disagreed with some of his comments on immigration and foreign affairs.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.