Pope Leo commemorated America’s Independence Day with a letter and a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa––a gateway for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to European sanctuaries.
“Defending human life,” Leo added, “also 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 continued that effort in his July 4th letter, saying that to welcome “those who have arrived seeking freedom, opportunity and a place to belong … is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person.”
In addition to his letter, Leo gave a speech on Saturday in Lampedusa in which he made a similar appeal to European leaders to address immigration "in a comprehensive manner, integrating immediate relief efforts into a long-term strategic plan capable of receiving, protecting, supporting and integrating migrants."
Many migrants gathered on Saturday to hear the pontiff, who also called on European leaders to improve conditions in the countries immigrants come from to reduce migration.
In May of last year, Leo said the dignity of migrants must be respected, speaking to world diplomats and invoking his own immigrant background. "My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate," he said before ambassadors at the Vatican.
As Trump was cracking down on Chicago’s immigrant community, Leo also met with union leaders in his home town and urged them to stick up for those most vulnerable populations in the city.
While many of Leo’s comments have not specifically targeted Trump, he has at times directly responded to the President’s attacks. In June, after Trump called Leo “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” in response to the Catholic Church criticizing the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, Leo said that he had “no fear of the Trump Administration, or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”
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