- Immigrant Times
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 26
ROME SUMMIT ON MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
Pope Leo XIV urges patience when asked to uphold Pope Francis’s refugee legacy *
Admirers of the late Pope Francis (on the right) appeal to Pope Leo XIV to support refugees and migrants with the same conviction as his predecessor did
October 2025: When, in 2013, Pope Francis visited African migrants on Lampedusa on his first official trip outside Rome or brought Syrian refugees to the Vatican in 2016, his acts were more than symbolic. They were a theological declaration: the Catholic Church must stand with the displaced. His papacy became synonymous with migrant solidarity, washing refugees’ feet, visiting refugee camps, and urging nations to “build bridges, not walls”.
After Pope Francis’ death in April 2025 and the election of Pope Leo XIV the following month, the question asked was, would Pope Leo uphold Francis’ refugee legacy?
Participants in the Migrants and Refugees in Our Common Home Summit, held in Rome from 1 to 3 October 2025, met a Pontiff who was more reflective than his predecessor. Unlike Francis, Leo prefers caution over dramatic symbolic acts.
Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, assumed the papacy in May 2025, bringing a distinct tone shaped by his Augustinian roots and missionary work in Peru. His early messages emphasise reconciliation, dignity, and shared humanity. In his July address for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, he referred to migrants as “privileged witnesses of hope”, likening their journeys to the biblical exodus and praising their “heroic testimony” of faith.
But Leo’s tone diverges subtly from Francis’s. Where Francis spoke of urgent welcome and political courage, Leo speaks of healing, patience, and “gestures of reconciliation”. His language is less confrontational, more contemplative, suggesting a shift from immediate sanctuary to long-term transformation.
This reframing was on full display at the Migrants and Refugees in Our Common Home summit held in Rome from 1 to 3 October 2025. Organised by Villanova University’s Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, the summit convened over 225 participants from 40+ countries, including scholars, students, NGOs, and Church leaders. Supported by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the event marked the launch of a three-year global initiative aimed at mobilising academic institutions around migration and displacement.
In his private audience with summit participants, Pope Leo XIV urged action plans rooted in “teaching, research, service, and advocacy”, calling for a “culture of reconciliation” to confront the “globalisation of powerlessness”. His emphasis was clear: systemic change must be grounded in shared responsibility and spiritual renewal.
So, is Pope Leo XIV equally supportive of migrants and refugees? Probably yes, but differently. His vision is theological, not just political. His call is for solidarity, not just shelter. And his challenge, perhaps, is deeper: to see migrants not only as vulnerable, but as vital.
As the Church enters this new chapter, the question remains: will Leo’s cautious approach inspire the same urgency that Francis’s bold welcome once did?
The Migrants and Refugees in Our Common Home summit
This summit, organised by Villanova University’s Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, was held in Rome from 1 to 3 October 2025. It marked the launch of a three-year global initiative to mobilise academic institutions, NGOs, and community partners around migration and displacement.
Key Features:
Participants: Over 225 attendees from over 40 countries, including scholars, students, NGOs, and Church leaders.
Focus Areas: Education, research, service, and advocacy, to create university-based action plans to support migrants and refugees.
Supporters: Included the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Jesuit Refugee Service, UNHCR, and the International Federation of Catholic Universities.
Papal Engagement: Pope Leo XIV received participants in a private audience on 2 October, reinforcing his support for academic and systemic engagement with migration.
Vision: Inspired by both Pope Francis’s call for action and Leo XIV’s Augustinian emphasis on shared responsibility, the summit aimed to foster “compassionate systems change”, moving beyond silos to build coalitions rooted in dignity and justice
* The article was originally written in Italian by a contributor to The Immigrant Times
Further reading: Teaching refugees || The Solidarity Prize 2026 ||
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