Office for Social Ministry
“Many migrants, refugees and displaced persons are witnesses of hope…they demonstrate this daily through their resilience and trust in God.” (Pope Leo XIV, message for the 2026 World Day of Migrants and Refugees)
On July 4, Americans will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence. Across the country, families will gather with gratitude for the blessings of liberty, democracy and freedom.
On that very same day, thousands of miles away, Pope Leo XIV will travel to the small Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, where another story of freedom and hope continues to unfold.
The timing is striking. While America celebrates the gift of liberty, the Holy Father will stand at one of the world’s most significant gateways for migrants and refugees fleeing war, persecution, violence, trafficking and crushing poverty.
His pilgrimage follows the path first taken by Pope Francis in 2013, when he mourned those who had perished at sea and challenged the world to reject what he called the “globalization of indifference.” Pope Leo now returns to continue that same Gospel witness.
His itinerary is rich with symbolism. He will pray in the cemetery for migrants who never reached safety. He will visit the “Door of Europe,” bless the pier dedicated to Pope Francis, celebrate the Eucharist before the image of Our Lady of Portosalvo, meet migrants who have survived unimaginable journeys, and thank the volunteers who accompany them with compassion.
It is more than a visit — it is a pilgrimage to the very heart of Christian mercy.
Respecting dignity
For Americans, Independence Day evokes another enduring symbol of hope: the Statue of Liberty. For generations, immigrants approaching New York Harbor first saw Lady Liberty lifting her torch above the waters. Emma Lazarus’ immortal words continue to echo across the centuries: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
Those words have never been simply about immigration policy. They speak to the dignity of the human person and to the hope that every woman, man and child deserves the opportunity to live in freedom and peace.
Pope Leo reminds us that migrants are not merely people in need of hope; they are often its greatest witnesses. Their resilience, courage and trust in God amid uncertainty reveal a hope rooted not in comfort, but in faith.
During his recent visit to Spain’s Canary Islands, another gateway for migrants risking dangerous sea crossings, the Holy Father reminded the world that “human dignity has no passport” and does not lose its value when crossing a border.
Meeting migrants who had survived extraordinary hardship, he bowed before them and said, “You are not just numbers or files. You are people who have left behind families and homes. You have dreams that no one has the right to despise.”
At the same time, Pope Leo has affirmed an important principle of Catholic social teaching. Nations have both the right and the responsibility to regulate their borders and safeguard the common good. Yet he insists that every immigration policy must also uphold the dignity of the human person.
Laws may govern borders, but they must never diminish the humanity of those who cross them.
Living the Gospel
Pope Leo’s words echo the Gospel itself. Jesus never reduced people to labels. He saw neighbors where others saw strangers, brothers and sisters where others saw outsiders.
Pope Leo strongly supports the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ recent pastoral message, which expressed concern about a growing “climate of fear and anxiety” affecting immigrant communities.
While recognizing the nation’s right to secure its borders, the bishops urged that immigration policies reflect both justice and mercy, protecting the God-given dignity of every person.
Throughout Scripture, God reminds his people: “You shall not oppress the stranger… for you yourselves were once strangers” (Ex 22:21). We are all migrant pilgrims in this world.
Here in Hawaii, these words resonate in a profound way. Our islands have been shaped by generations of migrants who crossed vast oceans seeking opportunity, security and hope. Among these are the first Catholic missionaries whose 1827 arrival will be celebrated in a bicentennial anniversary.
Waves of migrants built churches, schools, neighborhoods, businesses and communities. Their stories remind us that migration is not merely a modern issue — it is woven into the very fabric of Hawaii.
The spirit of aloha likewise calls us to recognize the dignity of every person we encounter. It invites us to see one another not as strangers, but as members of one human family.
In many ways, aloha is our local expression of Christ’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
As Pope Leo celebrates Mass on Lampedusa this July 4, let us give thanks for God’s blessings and pray for the shared wisdom we need to seek just and compassionate solutions to complex challenges in responding to those who flee violence, persecution, disaster and despair in search of safety and hope.
On July 4 and beyond, may we always remember the words of Jesus: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Mt 25:35). For in welcoming the stranger, we encounter Christ himself.
May the torch of liberty and the light of the Gospel shine together with their fullest brilliance, guiding us to become a people whose freedom is expressed not only in the rights we cherish, but in the compassion we extend and the hope we share.
Mahalo,
Your friends in the Office for Social Ministry