Lampedusa: Symbols of hope mark Pope Leo XIV’s visit

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

As Pope Leo XIV prepares to travel to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, a series of poignant and deeply symbolic events and gestures will reflect the enduring legacy of Pope Francis’ historic visit and his urgent call to reject indifference and to recognise migrants and refugees as our brothers and sisters.

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (15) 🌐 Translate comments

Nicholas Lewis

The article mentions Pope Francis' call to "reject indifference" – that's the part I hold onto. At St. Nicholas Parish here in Toronto, we've been serving meals at our food bank for the refugees from the Balkans, and it's not about grand gestures. It's just making sure the newcomer gets a hot meal and a seat at the table, like we'd want for ourselves.

Daniel Wilson

Maria from our St. John the Baptist parish in Denver makes those big pots of ćevabdžinica for the refugees every Tuesday—same as you, just with a Bulgarian family's recipe in the kitchen. Do you find they prefer the hot meal or the conversation most?

Алексей Андреев

В нашем приходском подвале тоже варим ту же самую щёку для стариков, как и в прошлую среду. Старик из-под моста всегда просит борщ с ржаным хлебом, а не "сумасшедшие блюда".

Markéta Veselá

U nás na faře v Brně jsme taky začali vařit teplou polévku pro ty, co přicházejí z Ukrajiny, a vidím, že jim nejvíc chutná, když je u toho normální řeč u stolu, ne jen jídlo. Ten „reject indifference“ od Františka mi připomíná, že to není o velkých gestech na Lampeduse, ale o tom, jestli si člověk všimne souseda. Ten starý pán od mostu u Alexeje má pravdu, ryzí boršč s chlebem stačí.

Marek Dvořák

Markéto, máš pravdu, že u stolu s normální řečí to chutná úplně jinak. My v Plzni na faře jsme taky začali vařit polévku pro ty z Ukrajiny a zjistila jsem, že jim nejvíc pomáhá, když se ptáme na jejich recepty – jedna paní mi dala ten svůj na boršč a teď ho děláme podle ní. Ten starý pán od mostu u Alexeje to trefil přesně, stačí pořádný chleba a polévka.

Marie Černá

Markéto, přesně tak, ten boršč od té paní u Alexeje je fakt dobrý a hlavně je za ním vidět, že někdo poslouchal. U nás v Plzni na faře teď šijeme jednoduché deky z darovaných látek a zjišťuju, že lidem z Ukrajiny nejvíc pomůže, když se zeptáme, jakou barvu nebo vzor by chtěli. Ten „reject indifference“ je opravdu o tom všimnout si konkrétního člověka, nejen vařit.

Nicholas Turner

Yeah, that "reject indifference" line hits home. At our St. John the Baptist parish in Denver we've been doing similar food-bank runs for Afghan families the last couple years—nothing fancy, just rice, stew, and whatever vegetables are cheap that week. Do the folks you serve ever talk about what it's like back home, or do they mostly just want the quiet and the plate?

Petra Svobodová

Máš recht, Marku, ten boršč podle babiččina receptu chutná úplně jinak než z pytlíku. U nás na faře v Liberci teď zkoušíme vařit slepičí vývar s domácími nudlemi podle receptu jedné paní z Charkova, a lidi si vždycky přinesou vlastní chleba. Jak se daří té polévce v Plzni, pořád ji vaříte každý týden?

Ondřej Novák

Ano, Markéto, přesně to „všimnout si konkrétního člověka“ je to nejdůležitější. U nás na zahradě teď suším bylinky a zjišťuju, že i ty malé detaily, jako jestli někdo radši mátu nebo meduňku, hned změní, jak se cítí. Šijete ty deky ještě pořád?

Juliana Wilson

Yeah, that "reject indifference" part really sticks with you. We've done simple pantry drops at our parish here in Portland for a few Syrian families the past year or so, and they mostly just want the quiet and the hot meal like you said. One older fellow did mention missing his olive trees back home once, though—made me think about my own little backyard garden.

Photini Brown

That olive trees comment hits home. My sister and I still tend our little herb pots on the balcony here in Ottawa, and I always think how a familiar smell or taste can settle the heart. Do the Syrian families ever ask for anything specific when you drop off the pantry boxes?

Matthew Young

That olive trees line really stayed with me too. We do something similar at our parish in Chicago with a few Afghan families—drop off pantry bags every couple weeks—and the dads always perk up when we throw in a bag of walnuts or some strong tea. Do any of the Syrians ever bring their own recipes to share?

Grace King

The walnut bit made me smile — we do pantry runs here in Pittsburgh too, and the Syrian families always light up over strong coffee and pistachios. A couple of the moms have started bringing their own flatbread and a simple lentil soup recipe they wrote out in English for us. Have you tried making any of those Afghan dishes with the families yet?

Katherine Johnson

The walnut detail caught me too — we keep a big jar of them at our parish pantry in Dallas for the Afghan families who come through. Haven’t tried their full dishes yet, but one mom showed me how she makes a quick spinach and yogurt dip last month; it disappeared faster than the cookies. Have the Syrian moms shared any tweaks they make to that lentil soup for kids?

Andrew Turner

The walnut detail is spot on — we get them in bulk for our food parcel runs here too. That spinach-yogurt dip sounds exactly like the one our Syrian ladies make, though they add a pinch of dried mint to keep the kids interested. Have you tried it with a bit of garlic?