In a public address today, Pope Francis urged Europe to extend a fair welcome to migrants. Speaking at the Mediterranean meetings, a Catholic Church initiative held in Marseille in southern France, the pope stressed that rejection should not be the answer and called for the expansion of legal pathways for entry as broadly as possible.
Within the meeting hall of Palais du Pharo, and in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron along with close to sixty bishops and youth groups, the pope reiterated Europe’s duty to respond with compassion. He echoed the lament that Mare Nostrum has become Mare Mortuum, the loudest cry of pain that deserves a humane response rather than indifference.
Among the attendees were prominent officials including French Minister of Internal Affairs Gérald Darmanin, who noted the gravity of the migration crisis. The discussion touched on the roles of major European institutions such as the European Central Bank, represented by Christine Lagarde, and Margaritis Schinas, the vice-president of the European Commission, highlighting the shared responsibility across the continent.
The pope underscored that while welcoming, protecting, encouraging, and integrating those who are unwanted poses obvious challenges, the principal criterion remains human dignity rather than narrow self-preservation. He pressed that compassion for the vulnerable is essential to any lasting solution.
Stating that indifference to the migration drama would be a moral failure, he urged a collective awakening to prevent civilization from collapsing. He proposed that sustainable, lawful entry—made feasible through robust reception by continental Europe within cooperation with donors of origin—could curb exploitation and desperation without compromising safety.
He warned that closure and fear-dominated policies escalate harm. Rather than retreat into isolation, he argued for a strategy that balances security with a humane approach, noting that a future built on such a framework will be appreciated by generations to come for enabling genuine integration rather than enforcing division. The pope cautioned against any invasion language, insisting that those taking perilous sea journeys are seeking refuge, not conquest.
The pope described the migrant emergency not as a temporary spike but as a chronic reality that calls for steady, principled responses rather than alarmist rhetoric. He recalled scenes from Italy where the political climate has strained under a surge of arrivals, and where humanitarian needs have tested local resources and resolve.
Italy has faced a contentious political climate, with the government declaring a state of emergency amid ongoing arrivals. The arrival of tens of thousands of people on islands such as Lampedusa has strained reception centers. Leaders from Rome and Brussels have engaged in dialogues about a coordinated approach to migration management and the sharing of responsibilities across EU states, including efforts to support transit countries and countries of origin.
In speaking to the broader phenomenon of migration spanning three continents around the Mediterranean, the pope called for its management with prudent wisdom and a European sense of accountability capable of facing objective realities. He emphasized that integration is a difficult but essential task, warning that ignoring differences can magnify tensions, foster ghettos, and fuel hostility and intolerance.
Francis concluded with a call to welcome migrants as brothers and to reaffirm the duty of charity toward those who seek a better life. The message was clear: Europe must respond with solidarity, find humane and lawful avenues for migration, and cultivate a shared responsibility that respects both security and the inherent dignity of every person. This stance, he suggested, would strengthen the social fabric across the continent and offer a model for humane, principled engagement with those who cross oceans for safety and opportunity.