“This is a place where gestures speak louder than words. But for gestures to be human, they need a heart.” So said Pope Leo XIV on a richly symbolic visit yesterday to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa to pray at a migrant cemetery and celebrate a solemn Mass for the island’s residents and newest arrivals.
A treeless strip of rock 5.6 miles long, Lampedusa is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland and is the main port of entry into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed by boat from Libya or Tunisia, often smuggled by human traffickers.
It was noted that, as an American, his choosing to spend his Fourth of July “in the epicentre of Europe’s migration debate”, was sending a powerfully symbolic message to the United States and Europe about the Christian obligation to uphold the dignity of every human being, migrants and the most vulnerable especially, while reminding the United States that it was founded by immigrants.
Pope Leo called on European leaders to rise to the “momentous challenge” of handling migration, urging Europe to help new arrivals integrate better, and improve conditions in their home countries.
“Those who have lost their lives in this sea are victims both of decisions that were made and of decisions that were not made,” the Pope said.
“From this far-flung corner of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea, one can more clearly perceive the momentous challenge that the phenomenon of migration poses to European societies.
“Europe is capable of addressing the crisis in this region in a comprehensive manner, integrating immediate relief efforts into a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants” while “assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate”, he said.
The Pope also prayed at the graves of migrants who had died while making the journey from Africa.
According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, more than 1,400 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year, including 28 children.
In a letter sent to Americans on the July 4 anniversary, Leo insisted that protecting the unborn and all human life also meant “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning”.
“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,” Leo wrote.
Sources: BBC, Chicago Tribune, Reuters
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