Pope Leo XIV thanks Lampedusa residents for welcoming migrants

(Patria) - Pope Leo XIV on Friday sent a message of thanks to the people of the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa for the welcome they extend to the migrants who regularly arrive there, AFP reported.

"There is no justice without compassion, there is no legitimacy without listening to the pain of others," the pope said in a video message sent to an event on the island.

Lampedusa, just 145 kilometers (90 miles) from the coast of Tunisia, is often the first point of arrival for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe in fragile or overcrowded boats. The pope thanked everyone on the island - from associations to volunteers, mayors and their administrations - for their work in helping migrants.

"'Thank you'... to all those who, often invisibly, have shown and continue to show the smile and care of a human face to those who have survived their desperate journey of hope," he said.

"The thousands of faces and names of people now living better lives will never forget your
benevolence."

Pope Leo's predecessor, Francis, chose Lampedusa for his first official visit in July 2013. On that occasion, he denounced what he called the "globalization of indifference," and the defense of migrants has become a cornerstone of his pontificate.

Returning to the theme on Friday, Pope Leo said: "Just as Pope Francis countered the culture of indifference with a culture of encounter, so I would like today, together, to begin to counter the globalization of powerlessness with a culture of reconciliation."

Earlier this month, seven people were lost at sea and 41 were brought to Lampedusa after a migrant boat ran into difficulties in the Mediterranean.

In 2024, 2,573 people attempting to cross into Europe have died in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The crossing of the central Mediterranean is one of the deadliest migrant routes in the world, the IOM says.