Pope Leo, the first American leader of the global Catholic Church, will spend this year’s Independence Day holiday visiting an Italian island known as the first port of call for migrants sailing from North Africa to Europe.

The Pope will visit Lampedusa on July 4, the Vatican announced Thursday, as part of a series of visits he will make this summer to cities across Italy.

Lampedusa is located in the Mediterranean between Tunisia, Malta and the largest Italian island of Sicily. The visit to Lampedusa will occur on the day the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence.

Pope Leo, the first American leader of the global Catholic Church, will spend this year's Independence Day holiday visiting an Italian island known as the first port of call for migrants sailing from North Africa to Europe.
Pope Leo, the first American leader of the global Catholic Church, will spend this year’s Independence Day holiday visiting an Italian island known as the first port of call for migrants sailing from North Africa to Europe.

Vatican Pool via Getty Images

Leo, originally from Chicago, has called for “deep reflection” on the way migrants are being treated in the US under the administration of President Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, the Vatican refuted reports that the Pope could travel to the United States for this year’s celebrations, with the press office stating: “The Pope will not go to the United States in 2026.”

Lampedusa is a destination on what has become one of the deadliest migration routes in the world, where many people disembark after crossing the Mediterranean, often in simple fishing boats or makeshift boats.

The island was visited by the late Pope Francis in 2013 on his first visit as Pope outside of Rome.

In a video message sent to the island in September, Leo mentioned his desire to visit and thanked local organizations that offer assistance to arriving migrants.

He said volunteers on the island “have shown… the smile and care of a human face to people who have survived a desperate journey of hope.”

Among the other trips the Vatican announced Thursday, Leo will visit the cities of Pompeii, Naples and Acerra in May, Pavia in June and Assisi and Rimini in August. (Reporting by Joshua McElwee Editing by Alexandra Hudson)