During his visit to Lampedusa, Pope Leo XIV said Europe had both the capacity and the responsibility to respond to migration with compassion and long-term planning.

Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island, has become a migration hub for the sea route across the Mediterranean, with almost 10,000 people arriving in one week in 2023, nearly double the island’s population.

During his homily in the Arena Sports Field on July 4, the Pope said the migration crisis “is a task not only for public institutions but also for civil society as a whole and for the Church.”

“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,” he said.

“In this regard, just as with the ecological transition and the promotion of peace, Europe possesses a unique potential, stemming from its history and culture, and therefore bears a corresponding responsibility.

“Thanks to its geographical location and institutional framework, 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 at the same time assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate.

“All of this must be done with vigilance, ensuring respect for the dignity of every person.”

The Pope met a migrant family at Favarolo Pier, which was renamed after Pope Francis during the visit. Pope Francis had chosen Lampedusa for his first papal visit on July 8, 2013.

Pope Leo compared the migration crisis to the parable of the Good Samaritan, saying that “today Lampedusa and Linosa lie along a path as dangerous as the one that led down from Jerusalem to Jericho”.

“Here you have seen not just one, but thousands of human beings fallen into the hands of robbers who have taken everything from them, beat them brutally and walked away, leaving them half-dead.”

He thanked those in institutions seeking to help migrants, noting that it is “an inner revolution that brings forth within us God’s ‘heart’ and broadens our thoughts, hearts and lives.”