Italy Pope Lampedusa

Pope Leo XIV pays tribute at the cemetery and on little Joussef's grave, in Lampedusa, Sicily, southern Italy, Saturday, July 4, 2026, during a one-day pastoral visit to an island that has become a symbol of the risks faced by migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.

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Pope marks July 4 by praying in Lampedusa for migrants who died seeking freedom and prosperity

Pope marks July 4 by praying in Lampedusa for migrants who died seeking freedom and prosperity

Pope Leo XIV is spending the Fourth of July in the epicenter of Europe’s migration debate. While the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with rallies, parties and fireworks, history’s first U.S.-born pope traveled to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. He is honoring the tens of thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach Europe to find freedom and prosperity. In doing so, Leo is sending a powerful and symbolic message to the United States and Europe. Amid the Trump administration immigration crackdown, Leo is reminding America that it was founded by immigrants.