On Lampedusa, Pope calls for solution to migration crisis

Lampedusa, which lies between Sicily and North Africa, has become a symbol of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean. It was visited by Pope Francis in 2013.

In a homily during a Mass on July 4, Pope Leo repeatedly returned to the theme of love – a love made concrete in compassion, hospitality and the willingness to draw near to those in need. Citing the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Pope said the encounter with those stripped of everything calls Christians “to be close to them”.

“This is the heart of the Gospel parable: we become neighbours by acting as neighbours,” he said.

“[But] indifference to the common good and corruption in their countries of origin; a global economic system that generates poverty and exclusion; fear that fuels prejudice and contempt; the belief that such problems do not concern us; the criminal calculations of those who profit from the suffering of others; the slow and difficult transition from mere emergency management to the development of comprehensive and shared policies – all are present-day echoes of the haste to ‘pass by’ in the Gospel narrative,” he said.

Pope Leo also said religious belonging must never be used to exclude or discriminate.

“From this far-flung corner of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea, one can more clearly perceive the momentous challenge that the phenomenon of migration poses to European societies,” he added.

Europe, he continued, has “a unique potential” and therefore “a corresponding responsibility” to address migration in a comprehensive way, integrating immediate relief into “a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants”, while also assisting developing countries so that “no one is forced to emigrate”.

The Pope said the task belongs not only to public institutions, but also to civil society and the Church.

FULL STORY

Pope Leo XIV: Migrants lost at sea are victims of choices made and unmade (By Antonio Tarello/EWTN News/The Tablet)

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