Lampedusa welcomes Pope Leo, a witness to solidarity at Europe’s frontier

By Linda Bordoni – Lampedusa

The 6,000 inhabitants of Lampedusa turned out in large numbers on Saturday morning to welcome Pope Leo XIV. They lined the streets and gathered in joyful groups along the route to the cemetery, the Gateway to Europe monument, and the Favaloro Pier, where migrant boats arrive and which was officially dedicated to Pope Francis during the visit. Finally, they filled the sports field for a sun-drenched Mass, during which the Pope expressed his gratitude to the local community.

He thanked them for the solidarity they have shown to the tens of thousands of migrants and refugees who have landed on their shores, for having chosen to love one another, recognising the migrant as a brother or sister in peril at sea. And he did not neglect to thank the migrants as well, who he said have not only received solidarity but have often shown it on their journey, as the poor helping the poorest. 

“Thank you, brothers and sisters,” Pope Leo said in his homily, “because your willingness to reach out to others can never be taken for granted; it is not something that happens automatically.”

The people of Lampedusa at Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV   (@Vatican Media)

The small Sicilian island, with its prickly pears and brilliant bougainvillaea, lies closer to the Tunisian coast than to mainland Italy. For centuries, and especially over the past two decades, it has become a natural point of arrival for migrants and refugees attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing from North Africa.

Countless men, women and children fleeing war, persecution and poverty have landed on its shores, particularly during the Arab Spring in 2011 and amid the Syrian conflict in 2015. In one week alone in 2023, nearly 10,000 people arrived on the island, a figure almost double that of Lampedusa’s resident population.

At Lampedusa’s “Gateway to Europe” at the southernmost tip of the island

Those following Pope Leo’s intense morning in Lampedusa through photographs and television images may have been surprised to realise there are hardly any migrants and refugees to be seen. Apart from those who have chosen to remain on the island and now play an essential role in rescue and reception efforts, most stay at the reception centre for only 24 to 48 hours before being transferred to other reception centres elsewhere.

At a time when Europe is pushing forward some of its most restrictive migration policies to date, with a focus on accelerated returns and the establishment of “return hubs” outside the bloc, Pope Leo encouraged the people of Lampedusa to continue to be a prophetic sign of what we can achieve together. Persevere in overcoming divisions and differences, he urged, setting the foundations for a world in which the economy, care for creation and social friendship come together in a synthesis that humanity cannot but seek today.

Pope Leo XIV pays tribute to the migrants and refugees who have lost their lives during the sea crossing   (@Vatican Media)