STORY: Pope Leo arrived at the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on the 250th U.S. Independence Day on Saturday (July 4).

The island is known as the first port of call for migrants sailing from North Africa to Europe, some 7,000 have arrived from Africa by crossing the dangerous Mediterranean waters this year.

The first U.S. leader of the Catholic Church, before holding a mass at the island, expressed his solidarity by visiting the memorial 'Porta d'Europa' (Europe's Gate) as well as a plaque installed for his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, at Favaloro Pier.

Pope Francis, who died in 2025 and visited Lampedusa in 2013 as his first trip outside of Rome since his election earlier the same year. Now Pope Leo is set to continue the legacy of his predecessor. He drew the ire of Donald Trump last year after calling the U.S. president's hard-line anti-immigration policies "inhuman", urged the world to become "more human" and to help those fleeing war or poverty.

Pope Leo, according to the Vatican, he will not visit the U.S. this year.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: LAMPEDUSA, ITALY (JULY 4, 2026) - (VATICAN MEDIA - Access all)

1. CROWD WAITING FOR POPE LEO AT PORT OF LAMPEDUSA

2. POPE LEO ARRIVING WITH CARDINALS AT CEMETERY

3. POPE LEO PUTTING DOWN FLOWER BOUQUET AT CEMETERY

4. POPE LEO LOOKING AT GRAVES AND LEAVING CEMETERY

5. VARIOUS OF CROWD WITH HATS SAYING 'POPE LEO XIV' WAITING FOR MASS TO BEGIN

6. MEMORIAL 'PORTA D'EUROPA' IN FRONT OF OCEAN

7. POPE LEO ARRIVING AT MEMORIAL AND WALKING HOLDING HANDS WITH LITTLE GIRL

8. POPE LEO CLIMBING CLIFFS IN FRONT OF OCEAN, HAVING HIS HAT BLOWN AWAY BY WIND, LOOKING AT SHIP

9. PEOPLE IN CROWD HOLDING HANDWRITTEN SIGN ABOUT WELCOMING MIGRANTS

10. POPE LEO LOOKING AT OCEAN AND CLIMBING BACK DOWN CLIFF

11. POPE LEO PUTTING ON NEW HAT AFTER PREVIOUS ONE HAD FLOWN AWAY

12. CROWD WAVING FLAGS WITH POPE'S PORTRAIT AND NAME

13. POPE ARRIVING WITH CAR AT FAVALORO PIER AND GREETING CARDINALS

14. POPE LEO WALKING TOWARDS MEMORIAL PLAQUE IN HONOR OF LATE POPE FRANCIS

15. POPE LEO TOUCHING PLAQUE WITH HAND

16. POPE LEO SHAKING HANDS WITH MIGRANTS

17. POPE LEO SHAKING HANDS WITH AID WORKERS

18. POPE LEO GREETING CROWD