Among those honoring Pope Francis, Monsignor Robert Vitillo shared his reflections with Vatican News, celebrating the Pope’s unwavering leadership in advocating for the world's most vulnerable. Monsignor Vitillo highlighted how Pope Francis consistently helped people recognize that every individual is a child of God, deserving of dignity, care, and inclusion.
Recalling the Pope’s legacy of standing with the marginalized, Monsignor Vitillo, an advisor to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and former Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission, praised Francis for awakening a global conscience. His career, spanning work with Caritas Internationalis and various Catholic organizations promoting social justice, has been deeply shaped by the same values the Pope embodied and championed.
Monsignor Vitillo said what impressed him most was Pope Francis’ deep conviction in the sanctity of human life in every circumstance — a belief he not only preached but practiced. Pope Francis persistently pushed for laws and policies that uplifted human dignity and personally reached out to society’s outcasts, setting a powerful example for others. His message was simple yet profound: each person is made in the image of God and must be embraced as part of the community.
Having spent decades advocating for vulnerable groups, Monsignor Vitillo expressed particular gratitude for Pope Francis’ global influence in defending the rights of refugees, migrants, and people living with illnesses like HIV and AIDS. He recalled how Pope Francis did not limit his efforts to public declarations but actively worked to ensure that children suffering from HIV and TB received life-saving, child-friendly medicines. His call to pharmaceutical companies, government leaders, and international organizations led to the Rome Action Plan for Children Living with HIV and TB, an initiative that has saved countless young lives across the world.
One moment that Monsignor Vitillo treasures most is the Pope’s historic first trip outside Rome, when he traveled to Lampedusa to mourn the countless migrants who perished seeking safety and better lives. The Holy Father’s visit was both a tribute and a wake-up call, reminding the world that seas like the Mediterranean should not become vast graveyards for desperate souls.
Pope Francis’ compassion and insistence on welcoming those fleeing violence and poverty resonated not only with victims but also influenced policymakers and citizens alike. His actions gave courage and hope to migrants who, amid unimaginable hardships, found strength knowing they had not been forgotten. Beyond the suffering communities, his voice reached United Nations officials and world governments, urging them to rethink and humanize their policies.
Monsignor Vitillo also emphasized that the Pope’s vision of integration was not about one-sided charity but about mutual enrichment. Welcoming migrants and refugees wasn’t just about offering aid; it meant receiving their gifts, talents, cultures, and values, and in doing so, strengthening societies on both sides.
Ultimately, Monsignor Vitillo believes the greatest tribute to Pope Francis would be to continue this mission — to live out the Gospel by building a more inclusive, compassionate world. Inspired by the Pope’s example, he remains confident that Francis’ social and spiritual influence will guide future generations committed to justice, solidarity, and the care of our common home.