Pope Leo XIV issued a powerful appeal for compassion and solidarity on Thursday at the docks of Arguineguín in Gran Canaria, calling the port one of Europe’s most painful symbols of migration. Standing at the “Port of Shame” where thousands arrived during the 2020 pandemic, he met with migrants and the rescuers, volunteers, and organizations who support them along one of the world’s deadliest sea routes. Listening to testimonies from a maritime rescuer, a Caritas volunteer, a trafficking survivor, and a migrant entrepreneur, the Pope said the Gospel becomes concrete in places where people arrive “stripped of almost everything, but never of their dignity.”
Drawing on Matthew 25 and the symbolism of his Fisherman’s Ring, Pope Leo said Christ’s call to be a “fisher of people” takes on new meaning here, where rescuers pull lives from the sea and recover those lost to it. He warned that “monsters still lurk in these seas” – mafias, traffickers, and indifference – but insisted the Church cannot stay silent. Quoting rescuer Tito Villarmea’s story of a girl disguised as a boy to survive the crossing, he stressed that migrants are not statistics: “Only then can we understand that little girl could be our daughter.” He also praised simple acts of mercy, saying they often begin with “a pair of shoes, a coat, a cup of coffee, or simply being present.”
Speaking directly to trafficking victims like Blessing, a Nigerian woman whose account was read aloud for her safety, Pope Leo affirmed their worth: “If others have put a price on your body, know that God has never ceased to recognise your inestimable worth. You are a blessing.” He then broadened his message to governments and the world, saying responsibility must be shared. Countries of origin need peace and development, transit nations must protect the vulnerable, and Europe must not let the Mediterranean and Atlantic become “unmarked graves.” He called for legal and safe migration pathways, stronger action against smugglers, and real integration – while also defending “the right not to have to migrate” at all, free from war, hunger, and corruption.
The visit ended with a minute of silence for those who died at sea and the blessing of a cross made from migrant boat wood at the shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. As he greeted volunteers and migrants on the waterfront, Pope Leo left them with a question: “Today, here by the sea, every individual that arrives asks us what remains of our humanity… Sooner or later, it will be known whether we protected life or whether we yielded to indifference.”