Pope Leo marks the 250th anniversary of US independence with an appeal to Americans to welcome and protect immigrants, in a letter sent to his home country as he visited Italy’s migrant frontline island of Lampedusa.
Leo, who drew the ire of Donald Trump last year after calling the US president’s hardline anti-immigration policies inhumane, also urges the world to become “more human” and to help those fleeing war and poverty.
During a day trip to Lampedusa, a gateway for migrants risking dangerous Mediterranean crossings into Europe from Africa, the pope urges European leaders to do more to assist arrivals, which have topped 7,000 this year.
Separately, in an appeal sent to the US for its landmark anniversary, Leo says the Catholic value of defending life includes “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants.”
“To receive (immigrants) with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person,” he tells the United States.
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