Pope Leo XIV marked July 4 with an appeal to Americans to receive immigrants with “compassion and generosity” as he made a visit to the frontlines of the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.

In a letter released soon after he arrived on the southern Italian island Lampedusa, the pope said that protecting human life meant “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants,” whose “hopes, sacrifices and contribution” had formed part of the history of the United States.

The first American pontiff began his visit at the “Door to Europe,” an artwork that stands as a memorial to the thousands of migrants who have died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean.

Leo took a moment to pay his respects, looking over at the blue waters of the sea, a gust of wind blowing away his white zuchetto (skull cap).

Pope Leo stops at "Door of Europe" memorial as he visits the island of Lampedusa, a key entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, on July 4, 2026.

Pope Leo stops at "Door of Europe" memorial as he visits the island of Lampedusa, a key entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, on July 4, 2026.

Two high-profile leaders in the US Catholic church have told CNN that Pope Leo’s July 4 visit to the island, the main port of entry to Europe for hundreds of thousands of mostly African migrants, sends a message to the US about immigration.

“In every generation, those who have arrived seeking freedom, opportunity and a place to belong have helped to shape the nation’s character,” the pope wrote in a letter to mark the United States 250th anniversary of independence.

“To receive them with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person.”

On Friday, the pope used a speech in Philadelphia at a ceremony to accept the Liberty Medal to praise his country’s history of welcoming new arrivals, recalling how it had “opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation.”

On Lampedusa, he visited the cemetery, where there is a section for migrants. Among those buried there is Yusuf Ali Kanneh, a six-month-old who drowned in a migrant boat wreck in 2020. He also met migrants and blessed a dedication plaque to Pope Francis, who paid an impactful visit to the island in 2013.

Pope Leo places flowers in the Lampedusa cemetery, on little Joussef's grave, during his pastoral visit on island in the south of Italy, 4 July, 2026.

Pope Leo places flowers in the Lampedusa cemetery, on little Joussef's grave, during his pastoral visit on island in the south of Italy, 4 July, 2026.

One of those he met, a boy by the name of Leo who arrived on the island 10 years ago having lost his mother, presented his namesake with a letter and a ball, which he said he hoped could be passed on to another migrant child.

“I’m super excited to meet you! 10 years ago my story began here in Lampedusa. I was alone and had lost everything, above all my mom. They say I stopped crying only when they gave me a ball, from that day the ball stayed in my heart and I never stopped playing,” the letter read.

“I really hope this ball I’m giving you now can reach another child and make them happy just like it did me.”

The Chicago-born pope was greeted by a singing, flag-waving crowd for the main event of his visit: an open-air Mass. Greeting the crowd, he called for gestures that make the “world of today and tomorrow… more human.”

In his homily, the pope called on European leaders to put in place plans for “receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants,” while at the same time “assisting developing countries so that no one is forced to emigrate.”

He added: “This is a task not only for public institutions but also for civil society as a whole and for the Church.” (CNN)

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