Lampedusa: Pope Leo XIV has called on the world to respond with compassion to the suffering of migrants and refugees, saying that the scale of human pain seen along dangerous migration routes demands more than words or political debate.
During his visit to the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, the Pope remembered the many people who have died at sea while trying to reach safety and freedom. He spoke of men and women, young and old, black and white, whose lives were lost during dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean.
The Pope stopped at the Gateway to Europe, a sculpture that has become a symbol of memory and hope for migrants who arrive on the island by sea. He later met a migrant family at Favarolo Pier, which was renamed in honour of Pope Francis for the occasion.
Pope Leo then celebrated Mass at the sports field in Lampedusa, where he used the Gospel story of the Good Samaritan to reflect on the suffering of migrants.
In his homily, the Pope compared the waters around Lampedusa and the nearby island of Linosa to the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho described in the biblical parable. In the story, a man is attacked, robbed and left seriously injured before a Samaritan stops to help him.
Pope Leo said the people of Lampedusa had witnessed not just one person suffering in this way, but thousands of people who had been robbed, beaten, exploited and abandoned. Many arrived on the island with almost nothing after surviving dangerous journeys, while many others never reached their destination.
The Pope said those who died at sea must not be forgotten. Their absence, he said, should challenge the conscience of the world just as strongly as the needs of those who survive and reach the shores of Europe.
He stressed that the suffering of a person in need should come before political arguments, intellectual discussions or ideological differences. When people encounter someone who has lost everything and needs help, he said, the first response should be human closeness and compassion.
Pope Leo also expressed deep gratitude to the people of Lampedusa for the support they have offered to migrants over many years. He described their actions as a miracle of compassion and said their willingness to help should never be taken for granted.
He told residents that solidarity does not happen automatically. It requires people to make a conscious choice to care for others, especially those who are suffering, vulnerable or alone.
According to the Pope, people who allow themselves to be guided by compassion and mercy begin to live differently. They also become citizens in a new way and approach their responsibilities with a stronger sense of care for others.
Pope Leo linked this spirit of compassion to the idea of a civilization of love promoted by his predecessors, including Saint John XXIII, Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II. He said these Church leaders, together with many prophets and martyrs of the last century, understood that mercy could offer an answer to the deepest needs of the human heart and to the terrible suffering caused by war.
The Pope said humanity has now entered a period in which the idea of a civilization of love must become something concrete. He called for compassion to influence spiritual life, culture, laws, politics and economic decisions.
His message in Lampedusa was a direct appeal for people and institutions to respond to migration with humanity. The island, located close to major Mediterranean migration routes, has become one of the most visible places where the human cost of migration can be seen.
Pope Leo concluded his appeal by saying that the enormous suffering witnessed in the world should help people understand the urgency and depth of the call to compassion.
His visit placed the experiences of migrants, refugees and the communities that receive them at the centre of his message. Through his words and meetings in Lampedusa, the Pope urged the world to see migration not only as a political issue, but as a human reality involving people searching for safety, dignity and hope.