Pope Leo's Statements on Immigration

In recent statements and during the joint celebration of the Jubilee of Migrants and the Jubilee of the Missions, Pope Leo XIV reminded all Catholics that the duty to welcome and assist migrants is also part of each person's obligation to share God's love (Sojourners article).  

"Today the frontiers of the missions are no longer geographical, because poverty, suffering and the desire for a greater hope have made their way to us," Pope Leo said (USCCB article). 

"The story of so many of our migrant brothers and sisters bears witness to this: the tragedy of their flight from violence, the suffering which accompanies it, the fear of not succeeding, the perilous risk of traveling along the coastline, their cry of sorrow and desperation," he said. "Those boats which hope to catch sight of a safe port, and those eyes filled with anguish and hope seeking to reach the shore, cannot and must not find the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination!...Human dignity must always come first."

This focus on the Catholic Social Teachings' principle of Life and Dignity of the Human Person was also reiterated in his message to leaders across Catholic Charities USA as they gathered in early October 2025 for their 115th Annual Meeting (Vatican News article). 

Quoting Pope Francis’ definition of hope as “the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring,” Pope Leo underlined the importance of Catholic Charities’ work across its 168 diocesan agencies.

He described them as “agents of hope” for millions of people in the United States, especially the most vulnerable, the migrants, refugees, and those unable to rely on their own resources.

“Through providing food, shelter, medical care, legal assistance, and many other gestures of kindness,” he wrote, “Catholic Charities affiliates across the United States show what Pope Francis often referred to as God’s ‘style’ of closeness, compassion, and tenderness.”

The Pope said that while poverty and forced migration bring immense challenges, migrants and refugees also serve as “witnesses to hope,” both by their resilience and through the faith they bring to the communities that welcome them, to find their new homes in your country.

He described them as “missionaries of hope,” strengthening parishes and building bridges across nations and cultures.