Pope Leo XIV spent the Fourth of July in Lampedusa, the Italian island at the center of Europe’s migration crisis, honoring the thousands of migrants who have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in search of safety and a better life.

The visit came as the United States celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with nationwide festivities, while the U.S.-born pontiff chose to mark the day with prayers for migrants and a Mass for residents and newly arrived asylum seekers on the small Sicilian island.

Lampedusa, located closer to North Africa than mainland Italy, has long served as one of Europe’s main entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya and Tunisia, many undertaking the dangerous journey with the help of human traffickers.

During his visit, Leo prayed at a migrant cemetery, met with migrants at the island’s port and later walked alone along the rocky jetty overlooking the sea, where he reflected on the humanitarian tragedy that has unfolded in the region for years.

He also blessed a commemorative plaque dedicating the dock to Pope Francis, who made a landmark visit to Lampedusa in 2013 to draw global attention to the plight of migrants risking their lives at sea.

“This is a place where gestures speak louder than words,” Leo said during the visit. “But for gestures to be human, they need a heart.”

Later in the day, the pope visited the residence of U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, an uncommon gesture for a pontiff, as popes rarely make visits to ambassadors’ residences.

According to the U.S. Embassy, Burch presented Leo with a commemorative baseball, an apple pie and a U.S. World Cup jersey in recognition of the Independence Day celebrations.

The embassy said the pope confirmed he would be cheering for the U.S. national team and that the two discussed American efforts to promote peace, religious freedom and what the embassy described as the need for moral clarity and courage in global affairs.

Leo’s visit also carried broader symbolic significance.

The pope has previously differed with the Trump administration over immigration policy, and his decision to spend America’s Independence Day in one of Europe’s most prominent migration hotspots underscored the Catholic Church’s emphasis on protecting the dignity of migrants and other vulnerable people.

Observers said the visit served as a reminder of Christianity’s call to care for those in need while highlighting the role immigration has played throughout American history.