Pope defends migrants on symbolic visit to Mediterranean island frontier

Pope Leo XIV made a symbolic visit to Italy's Lampedusa on Saturday, a major entry point for migrants crossing from North Africa. According to France 24, the papal journey served as a rebuke to rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and European Union. The Pope's presence on the island—a frontline of Europe's migration challenges—underscored his message that migrants deserve compassion and dignity, a stark contrast to the hardening anti-immigrant rhetoric in Western politics.

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