The pope’s Italy itinerary also includes stops in Pompei, Naples, Acerra, Pavia, Assisi, and Rimini through August.
Pope Leo XIV will travel July 4 to the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a major migrant landing point that has become a symbol of Europe’s migration emergency as tens of thousands of migrants arrive there each year after perilous sea crossings.
The Vatican on Thursday published a calendar of the pope’s Italian pastoral visits through Aug. 22, including stops in Pompei, Naples, Acerra, Pavia, Assisi, and Rimini.
Lampedusa — a small Italian island south of Sicily — gained worldwide attention as a flashpoint of Mediterranean migration and as a place of mourning for those who died trying to reach Europe. Pope Francis chose Lampedusa as the destination of his first official visit outside Rome on July 8, 2013, when he prayed for victims lost at sea and decried indifference toward migrants.
Leo’s planned visit also comes after he has spoken publicly about the U.S. migration debate, supporting a letter by the U.S. Catholic bishops last year opposing the mass deportation policy of the Trump administration and calling for humane treatment of migrants.
The pope’s Italy visits through Aug. 22
According to the schedule released Feb. 19, Leo’s upcoming pastoral visits include:
— May 8: Pompei, marking the anniversary of his election, with Mass and a traditional act of supplication to Our Lady; later that day, Naples, meeting clergy and religious in the cathedral and addressing the public in Piazza del Plebiscito
— May 23: Acerra, meeting with faithful in the “Terra dei Fuochi” area
— June 20: Pavia, home to the shrine housing the remains of St. Augustine
— July 4: Lampedusa (morning)
— Aug. 6: Assisi (Santa Maria degli Angeli), meeting young people gathered for a centenary observance connected to St. Francis’ “Transitus,” and celebrating Mass
— Aug. 22: Rimini, meeting participants in the annual Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples and celebrating Mass with the local faithful
Local Church leaders welcomed the announced visits, with Naples Archbishop Domenico Battaglia, Pompei Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, and Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna describing the Campania stops as a sign of pastoral concern for a region marked by both hope and hardship — including environmental degradation tied to illegal dumping and burning in the “Terra dei Fuochi.”
Rimini Meeting Foundation President Bernhard Scholz also expressed anticipation for Leo’s Aug. 22 visit, saying the pope’s call to build places of love, peace, and reconciliation resonates with the meeting’s mission.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News, and has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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Migrants – they are all human beings made in the image and likeness of the divine.
So are drug and sex traffickers.
Migrants are indeed human beings & created by God just as we are,
Dr. Coelho. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. Thank you for sharing that.
But there are other issues to consider in the migration problem.A large one being the involvement of organized criminal smuggling gangs & the harm they do to the migrants, the countries suffering from cartel turf wars & the host nations on the receiving end where illegal migrants are exploited & extorted to pay off their debts. The criminal corruption in this has spread globally.
“Leo’s planned visit also comes after he has spoken publicly about the U.S. migration debate, supporting a letter by the U.S. Catholic bishops last year opposing the mass deportation policy of the Trump administration and calling for humane treatment of migrants.” The Pope’s position contradicts his own state punishments against illegal aliens. It is also harmfl and even dangerous to us all. See how the Vatican punishes illegals: Vatican Promises Stiff Penalties for Illegal Aliens Crossing its Border
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/01/16/vatican-promises-stiff-penalties-for-illegal-aliens-crossing-its-border/
See how his views for other nations (but not for his own domain!) endanger the citizens in those nations:
He wants to protect people whose first moral act in the U.S. is to disregard and violate our laws by entering illegally; then lowering wages for Americans, crowding schools, overtaxing health systems, raising rents and housing costs, with 50% OF ILLEGAL ALIEN FAMILIES ON WELFARE, far higher than the average for non illegals (see below the information), not to mention the STEALING OF BILLIOS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS AS IN MINNESOTA AND CALIFORNIA (see information below), or “non-violelnt crimes” such as DWI, fraud, theft, identity theft, drug trafficking, child pornography possession, and some forms of human trafficking and child molestation or the horrible crimes, such as
An illegal alien accused of raping and murdering 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez last year in the sanctuary state of California has been hit with additional child rape charges involving two other teen boys.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/02/12/sanctuary-california-illegal-alien-hit-with-more-child-rape-charges-after-allegedly-murdering-boy/
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking custody of an illegal alien accused of violently raping an 11-year-old girl at knifepoint in front of her younger sister in Georgia
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/28/ice-seeks-custody-illegal-alien-accused-raping-11-year-old-girl-knifepoint/
ICE Agents Arrest Illegal Aliens Convicted of Child Abuse, Manslaughter, Sex Crimes “While the media and sanctuary politicians continue to ignore American victims of illegal alien crime, our officers were arresting criminal illegal aliens,” the Department of Homeland Security’s Tricia McLaughlin said:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/02/18/exclusive-ice-arrests-illegal-aliens-convicted-child-abuse-manslaughter-sex-crimes/
Sep 11, 2025 … A 37-year-old illegal alien from Cuba is in the Dallas County jail after he allegedly decapitated a man at an area motel.
Five-Time Deported Illegal Alien Charged with Kicking Baby to Death
Breitbart › Politics › 2019/04/25
Apr 19, 2025… A five-time deported illegal alien has been arrested and charged with kicking a four-month-old baby to death in Shelby County, Tennessee.
THE OFFICE OF THE TENNESSEE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS GENERAL CONFERENCE HAS RELEASED ITS ANNUAL STATE IMMIGRATION REPORT REVEALING THAT IN 2025, ILLEGAL MIGRANTS COMMITTED 2,183 VIOLENT OFFENSES, INCLUDING 41 HOMICIDES, 145 SEXUAL OFFENSES, 11 CHILD RAPES, AND MORE. Tennessee Releases Staggering Stats on Migrant Crime
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/02/02/tennessee-releases-staggering-stats-migrant-crime/
Mecklenburg County, NC: Arnol David Guebara is accused of kidnapping, drugging, and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl he met on Instagram for nearly three months from November 2024 to January 2025. He is now back in custody and on an immigration detainer hold after being released on bond last year. His bond was revoked after failing to appear for a court date. Guebara Is charged with Statutory Rape, Indecent Liberties with a Child, and Kidnapping.
https://x.com/ImmigrantCrimes/status/2022319629964583173
Over Half of Immigrant Households Are on Welfare, Far Surpassing American Households
More than half of immigrant-headed households are on one or more forms of taxpayer-funded welfare, far surpassing the welfare use of native-born American households, newly released analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies revealed.
JOHN BINDER
5 Feb 2026, 3:25 PM PST1,523
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking custody of an illegal alien accused of raping three children in Asheville, North Carolina. Juan Ramon Juarez-Talamantes, a 29-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, has been arrested by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and charged with three counts of statutory rape.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/02/11/north-carolina-ice-agents-seek-custody-of-illegal-alien-accused-of-raping-three-children/
Previously-Deported Illegal Out on Bail for Heinous Child Sex Crimes Caught at Airport in Sanctuary Oregon
Infowars.com ^ | February 12th, 2026 7:31 AM | Dan Lyman
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4366607/posts
Truck Driver Allegedly Behind Fatal 8-Car Accident Identified as illegal…
Breitbart › Immigration › 2025/10/22
Border chief Tom Homan says ICE has found over 3,000 missing migrant children in Minnesota
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/border-chief-tom-homan-says-ice-has-found-over-3000-missing-migrant-children-in-minnesota/
ICE Asks Miami to Not Release Criminal Illegal Alien who Violently Sexually Assaulted Uber Driver Before Causing Vehicle Crash in Miami
Release Date: February 6, 2026
Oct 22, 2025 … The suspected semi-truck driver behind an eight-car accident in California has been identified as an illegal alien from India.
Obama Judge Refuses to Give More Jail Time to Illegal Alien Who …
Breitbart › Politics › 2025/12/15
Dec 15, 2025 … A judge is refusing to add additional jail time to a sentence for a seven-time deported illegal alien convicted of raping a disabled woman.
Report: ICE Arrests 101 ‘Dangerous’ Illegal Alien Truckers … – Breitbart
Breitbart › Immigration › 2025/12/23
Four More Americans Killed by Illegal Alien Trucker in Indiana
Four more Americans have been killed by the open-borders policy supported by President Joe Biden, Democratic politicians, and many anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis and other cities.
NEIL MUNRO
5 Feb 2026, 12:12 PM PS
Dec 23, 2025 … There are now reportedly 101 fewer illegal alien truck drivers on California highways following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement …
Illegal Alien Accused of Random Shooting Spree on Tennessee …
Breitbart › Politics › 2025/05/02
ICE Arrests Over 145 Illegal Alien Truck Drivers on Indiana Highways
Breitbart › Politics › 2025/10/30
Oct 30, 2025 … Of those arrests, 146 illegal aliens were driving semi-trucks and more than 40 had been issued Commercial Driver’s Licenses. The states that
10 Years Later: Illegal Alien Who Killed Sarah Root Gets 20 Years in Prison
The illegal alien convicted of killing Sarah Root the night she graduated from college has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
JOHN BINDER
3 Feb 2026, 10:47 AM PST21
May 2, 2025 … Enoc Martinez, a 24-year-old illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested in Shelby County, and charged with five counts of attempted first-degree …
Sanctuary State Illinois: Illegal Alien Accused of Killing GOP Elected …
Breitbart › Politics › 2025/10/30
Oct 30, 2025 … Police say that 34-year-old illegal alien Edwin Pacheco-Meza of Honduras was driving a van on Oct. 24 when he crossed the center lane and struck …
ICE Busts Illegal Alien Pedophile Ring in Minneapolis – Breitbart
Breitbart › Politics › 2025/07/09
Jul 9, 2025 … Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested several illegal alien pedophiles and sexual offenders in Minneapolis.
Illegal Alien Accused of Killing 23-Year-Old National Guardsman …
Breitbart › Politics › 2025/11/19
https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2026/01/23/jd-vance-california-fraud-dwarfs-theft-federal-funds-minnesota/
California Fraud by Illegals Dwarfs Theft of Federal Funds in Minnesota by illegals
Vice President JD Vance revealed this week that about $7 billion worth of Small Business Administration (SBA) fraud has been discovered in California, an indicator the theft of federal funds across all departments in the Golden State could well exceed any other state’s. I think we have a fraud problem that is much worse in California than it is in Minnesota,” Vance said in an interview Thursday with Newsmax.
He continued, “I was talking actually to our small business administrator and I think she found probably a half billion dollars of fraud in Minneapolis and the broader Minnesota area. I think she’s found 7 billion dollars worth of fraud in California.”
Federal prosecutors have estimated that the total amount for Minnesota could top $9 billion in total, but that includes multiple federally funded programs such as food stamps, health care, and social services.
Since President Donald Trump took office, the sanctuary state of California has released more than 4,500 illegal aliens, several convicted of crimes like murder and child sex crimes, into communities rather than turn them over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sanctuary State California Has Freed 4,500 Illegals from Jail, Including Killers and Sex Offenders
Two Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Charged with Rape, Aggravated Sodomy, and Kidnapping of Woman in Kansas
Release Date: August 20, 2025
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/08/20/two-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-charged-rape-aggravated-sodomy-and-kidnapping
ICE arrests violent criminal alien after sanctuary jurisdiction released him despite immigration detainer
Officers with ICE Baltimore arrested Rafael Aguilar, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras who was charged with attempted murder and convicted of second-degree assault after stabbing a victim in the back as the victim was walking home on April 19, 2025.
Prince George’s County released a criminal illegal alien charged with attempted murder and later convicted of assault
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-violent-criminal-alien-after-sanctuary-jurisdiction-released-him-despite
ICE Urges Charlotte Officials Not to Release Illegal Immigrant Charged in Stabbing Ex-Girlfriend
ICE said it lodged an immigration detainer immediately after he was arrested to ensure he is not released back into Charlotte neighborhoods without federal notification. By
Rudy Blalock|
Published: 2/10/2026, 4:07:10 PM EST
https://www.ntd.com/ice-urges-charlotte-officials-not-to-release-illegal-immigrant-charged-in-stabbing-ex-girlfriend_1125315.html
Ah, the symbolism of the place and the date is obvious. The first American pope will be sure not to visit his native land during the year it celebrates its Semiquincentennial, but he will take the opportunity to grandstand on a highly charged political issue that is a matter of prudential judgement. The message is that the only true measure of a nation’s (really, only Western nations) moral legitimacy and right to even exist is its willingness to take in unlimited numbers of migrants from every corner of the world, without regard to religion, race, ethnicity or culture. The Great Replacement is a conspiracy theory and a moral imperative at the same time.
If Leo didn’t lose his U.S. citizenship as the result of accepting the Papacy and becoming the head of a foreign state, he should.
I listened to a speech given to Parliament by Mike Johnson & he joked that he had dined in the UK using silverware older than his nation. 50 years into a 3rd century isn’t a showstopper. Congratulations to us for making it this long but I think the important celebrations are coming in 2076. Hopefully.