'Compassion and generosity: Pope Leo XIV urges Americans to welcome immigrants on 250th birthday

Pope Leo XIV traveled to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on July 4, marking his pastoral visit with a slate of symbolic gestures centered on the plight of migrants and refugees. "Defending human life also includes welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contributions have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning," he said in a letter congratulating Americans on the nation's 250th anniversary.

In the letter, the first American pontiff reminded Americans that "in every generation, those who have arrived seeking freedom, opportunity and a place to belong have helped to shape the nation’s character. 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." Lampedusa is known as a landing point for migrants travelling from Africa to Europe by sea. Nearly 1,000 migrants have died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea in 2026 alone.

The Holy Father visited the local cemetery, which includes a section for "Muslims and Catholics, for young and old, black and white, all of them lost at sea as they searched for freedom", expressing his solidarity to the many migrants who have passed through Lampedusa, as well as to those who never completed the journey, according to Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See. He also stopped at the "Gateway to Europe," a sculpture symbolizing hope for those arriving by sea, the portal added.

In his homily, Pope Leo said that Lampedusa, along with neighboring Linosa, lies on a dangerous path. "Here," he said, "you have seen thousands of human beings fall into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally, and walked away, leaving them half-dead." The pope lamented that the sea claimed the lives of many others — "those who did not manage to reach their hoped-for destination" — whose presence, he insisted, "challenges us no less than that of those who have landed in need of attention and aid."

The sermon also called on European leaders to devise plans for “receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants,” while at the same time “assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate.” He then added: “This is a task not only for public institutions but also for civil society as a whole and for the Church.” This is not the first time that Pope Leo has advocated for immigrants.

The pontiff recently called for better treatment of migrants during a meeting with organizations working with migrants at the Port of Arguineguína in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. He praised migrants for their sacrifices and asserted that they were not just numbers. "Dear migrants, before saying anything else to you, I want to bow before your dignity," he said. "You are people who have left behind families and homes. You have dreams that no one has the right to despise.