Pope Leo XIV marks US 250th anniversary with Lampedusa visit

Pope Leo XIV marked the 250th anniversary of the United States on July 4, 2026, not with celebrations in his homeland but with a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a primary European entry point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean. The first American-born pontiff used the occasion to issue a dual appeal, urging both the United States and Europe to welcome immigrants with compassion and to adopt comprehensive, long-term strategies to address migration.

The Pope’s day began at the island’s cemetery, where he laid flowers and prayed at the graves of migrants who died at sea, marked by simple wooden crosses. He then visited the "Door to Europe" monument, meeting a migrant family before walking alone onto a rocky jetty to gaze at the sea. Later, he blessed a plaque dedicating a dock to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who visited Lampedusa in 2013.

In a letter released to mark the U.S. semiquincentennial, Pope Leo linked the defense of human life directly to immigration. He wrote that defending life "includes welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning." He...