During his visit to the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa on Saturday, Pope Leo XIV blessed a commemorative plaque in honour of his predecessor, Francis, after whom a key arrival point for Mediterranean migrants will henceforth be named.
The pier, previously known as Molo Favaloro, will now be called Molo Papa Francesco. This move is intended to commemorate the late pope’s commitment to refugees.
The pier is one of the most symbolic arrival points for migrants in the central Mediterranean. For years, people who have survived the dangerous sea crossing have been coming ashore at the approximately 150-metre jetty. Either the boats reach it under their own power, or rescue vessels bring people picked up at sea there.
Pope meets several migrants from the hotspot
Leo blessed the commemorative plaque bearing the inscription: “Molo Papa Francesco – a place of arrival, hope and humanity.”
He then paused briefly to greet migrants who had been brought to the pier from the island’s reception centre – known as the hotspot – for the pope’s visit, according to media reports. Migrants who set foot on European soil for the first time at the pier are taken there immediately upon arrival.
Earlier, the head of the Catholic Church visited the cemetery in Lampedusa, where he paid tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea. He then visited the Porta d’Europa memorial.
He plans to celebrate Mass later on Saturday morning before flying back to Rome at midday.
Lampedusa as focus of papal visits
The small island of around 6,000, which lies between Sicily and Tunisia, has long been regarded as one of the key hubs for migrants travelling from Africa to Europe.
Francis visited Lampedusa in 2013 on his first trip as pontiff.
Leo, the first pope from the United States, is visiting Lampedusa on the 250th anniversary of US independence.
Born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo has repeatedly drawn attention to the plight of migrants, most recently during a visit to the Canary Islands.
FILE PHOTO – Migrants trying to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa from the northern coast of Africa are apparently adrift in the Mediterranean Sea with engine trouble. (is associated with: «Lampedusa names migrant pier after Pope Francis during Leo XIV’s visit») Oliver Weiken/dpa