Star Metro - Pope Leo thanks Lampedusans for welcoming migrants

"There is no justice without compassion, no legitimacy without listening to the pain of others," said the pope in a video message sent to an event on the island.

Lampedusa, just 90 miles (145 kilometres) off the coast of Tunisia, is often the first point of arrival for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe in fragile or overcrowded boats.

The pope thanked all those on the island -- from associations to volunteers, mayors and their administrations -- for their work helping migrants.

"'Thank you' to... all those who, often invisibly, have shown and continue to show a smile and the care of a human face to those who have survived their desperate journey of hope," he said.

"Thousands of faces and names of people now living better lives will never forget your charity."

Pope Leo's immediate predecessor, Francis, chose Lampedusa for his first official visit in July 2013.

On that occasion he denounced what he called "the globalisation of indifference", and the defence of migrants became a cornerstone of his papacy.

Returning to that theme Friday, Pope Leo said: "As Pope Francis opposed the culture of indifference with the culture of encounter, so I would like us today, together, to start opposing the globalisation of impotence with a culture of reconciliation."

Earlier this month, seven people were lost at sea and 41 others were brought to Lampedusa after a migrant boat got into difficulty in the Mediterranean.

In 2024, 2,573 people trying to make the crossing to Europe died in the Mediterranean Sea, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The central Mediterranean crossing is one of the deadliest migrant routes in the world, says the IOM.

T.Murray--SMC