Leo's visit comes two weeks after the European Union's approval of new migrant rules
Pope Leo XIV on Saturday morning began his visit to Italy’s Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders.
The Catholic Church’s first US pope, who has clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over its treatment of migrants, is marking July 4, the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, on a migration frontline.
Leo’s visit also comes just two weeks after the European Union’s approval of new migrant rules allowing much broader detention powers and the creation of deportation centres outside the bloc.
He began his visit at a cemetery, pausing in prayer in an area where unidentified migrants are buried in numbered graves.
