Pope Leo XIV will visit the Italian island of Lampedusa on 4 July in a highly symbolic visit as he continues to advocate for migrants’ rights.
The Vatican announced the three-and-a-half hour visit in April which is scheduled to take place on the same day as the pope's native United States marks Independence Day.
Pope Leo XIV has been outspoken on the issue of migration and has already visited one of Europe’s migration hotspots, Spain’s Canary Islands, where he stressed the need for a shared response to one of the archipelago’s biggest challenges.
The pontiff arrived in Gran Canaria earlier in June where he was greeted by Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, together with national, regional and local authorities.
"Human dignity has no passport", the pope said.
