Pope Leo spends the Fourth of July in an Italian immigrant cemetery, meets with the American ambassador

Pope Leo XIV, who opposes the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants, spent the Fourth of July on Saturday at the scene of the European migration debate to honor the tens of thousands of people who died trying to reach Europe for freedom and prosperity.

When the United States marked the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence gatherings, parties and fireworks, the US-born pope traveled to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa to pray at a cemetery for immigrants and celebrate a solemn Mass for the island's residents and newcomers.

Later on Saturday, he got into the Fourth of July spirit by visiting the residence of the US ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, a rarity for popes who usually do not invite ambassadors. The U.S. ambassador said Burch gave Leo a souvenir baseball, an apple and a US World Cup a sweater.

Leo confirmed that he is working for the American team, the Ambassador wrote to X, adding that the two discussed “American efforts to pursue peace, religious freedom and the need for moral clarity and courage around the world.”

A treeless rock 5.6 kilometers long, Lampedusa is closer to Africa than Italy and is the main port of entry into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants who cross by boat from Libya or Tunisia, often trafficked by people smugglers.

Leo met other migrants at the port and walked alone over the jagged rocks, the wind whipping his cassock and blowing his zucchetto skullcap as he looked out to sea. He then blessed the plaque that the booth was dedicated to Pope Franciswho visited in 2013, before celebrating Mass in the world.

“This is a place where gestures speak louder than words,” Leo said. “But for a gesture to be human, it needs a heart.”

In his visit this particular Saturday, Leo was sending a powerful symbolic message to the students In the US and Europe's Christian obligation to uphold the dignity of everyone, migrants and the most vulnerable in particular, while reminding the US that it was founded by immigrants.

In a letter sent to the American people on the Fourth of July, Leo emphasized that protecting the unborn child and all human life means “welcoming, protecting and helping immigrants, their trust, sacrifices and contributions have been part of the history of this country since its inception.

“Welcoming them with compassion and generosity is not only an act of kindness, but also a respect for the dignity of every human being,” wrote Leo.

The small island is becoming Ground Zero for the European migration debate

In recent years, Lampedusa has become Ground Zero for Europe's migration debate as the continent struggles to secure its borders while honoring its legal obligations to welcome refugees fleeing conflict, climate change and poverty.

To his family, Leo thanked the residents of Lampedusa for the “miracle of compassion” they showed in welcoming the migrants and urged Europe to face the current challenge and take its responsibility.

“Certainly, before any mental considerations or ideological beliefs, meeting those who lie before us, deprived of everything, calls us to be close to them,” said Leo, wearing clothes decorated with images of waves.

Preaching from “this remote part of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea,” Leo urged European leaders to tackle the migration situation in a comprehensive way, combining immediate aid with long-term strategies to receive, protect, support and integrate migrants while developing their home countries so that no one is forced to migrate.

“Here you did not see one person but thousands of people fell into the hands of criminals who took everything from them and beat them brutally and left them dead,” he said.

Some have died while taking this trip, he said, “however we feel their presence, which poses a challenge to us less than those who have arrived in need of attention and help.”

The number of migrants arriving in Italy so far this year is much lower than in recent years, with the Interior Ministry reporting 14,464 arrivals as of Friday compared to 30,598 in the same period last year and 26,202 in 2024.

At the same time, the International Organization of Migration has recorded more than 35,000 migrants lost in the Mediterranean since 2014, although the actual number of dead is believed to be much higher given the unknown number of “invisible” shipwrecks that are never recorded.

Leo has emphasized the need to uplift the dignity of immigrants, especially during the Trump administration's mass deportation program in his hometown of Chicago. But he has also directed his message to the Christian leaders of Europe.

Last month, Leo visited another hot spot for European migration, the Canary Islands, Spain, to shame leaders who recklessly deport migrants while warning traffickers that they will face the wrath of God for exploiting the migrants' desperation.

Leo respects the dignity of the dead and remembers Francis

After arriving in Lampedusa by plane, Leo bowed to the dead in the island's immigrant cemetery, placing a wreath of yellow and white flowers on their graves, marked with simple crosses made from the cracked wood of shipwrecks.

The actions send a “strong message” of solidarity, said Tareke Brane, from Eritrea and president of the October 3 Committee, a non-profit organization founded by relatives of victims of the 2013 Lampedusa shipwreck that left 368 dead.

“It's a strong sign of our fight with Italy and Europe to register the dead, because as of today we still don't have a register (of those who died),” he told the Associated Press.

Leo's visit both honors the dead and “gives a message to relatives, many of whom are still waiting and suffering,” he said.

With his visit, Leo followed in the footsteps of Francis, who made the plight of migrants and refugees a priority of his papacy. In the Catholic Church, welcoming and accompanying people fleeing hardships is part of the vocation authorized by the Gospel to welcome the stranger.

Francis went to Lampedusa in July 2013, his first trip outside Rome after his election. He threw a wreath into the sea in memory of the dead migrants and condemned them “globalization of indifference” that the world shows immigrants.

Salvatore Sortino, head of IOM's mission in Italy and Malta, said that although the number of arrivals has decreased, the number of deaths has increased proportionally, “in the sense that the decrease in the number of arrivals has not resulted in a lower number of deaths at sea.”

“That speaks to the risk that remains,” he said. “So the papal visit here, where all this is happening, I think is a very important reminder of that aspect.”