Pope Leo, the head of state of Vatican City, on Saturday, called on Americans to welcome and protect Immigrants in a letter to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, Reuters reported. He sent the letter to his homeland during a visit to the migrant-populated Italian island of Lampedusa.
The first pope elected from the Augustinian Order also urged that Catholic values of protecting life include “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants.”
“To receive 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 70-year-old told the United States.
He faced a sharp political backlash from the Trump administration last year after calling US President Donald Trump’s tough anti-immigration policies inhumane. He has also called on the world to be “more humane” and help people fleeing war and poverty.
During a day trip to Lampedusa, the gateway for migrants entering Europe, the highest religious leader of the Catholic Church called on European leaders to take more steps to help the arrivals, according to Reuters.
Also Read: Christian leader Pope Francis, 88, suffers injuries after a fall
Migrants risk their lives to reach Lampedusa, mainly by boat, crossing the dangerous Mediterranean Sea from Africa. Their number on the island has exceeded 7,000 this year.
The previous Christian leader, Pope Francis, also chose Lampedusa as the destination of his first trip outside Rome after becoming pope in 2013 and visited on July 8 of the same year. He died on April 21, 2025. On May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV succeeded him.