Pope Leo Urges Respect for the Dignity of Migrants

Pope Leo XIV, in his first address to world diplomats at the Vatican, said on May 16 the dignity of migrants had to be respected, possibly putting himself on a collision course with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

- 

VATICAN CITY -

The Pope, who was born in Chicago but lived for many years in Peru as a missionary, said his own background made him feel compelled to call for compassion and solidarity with those seeking a better life in other countries.

"My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate," he told ambassadors at the Vatican.

"All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God," he added.

It is believed that Pope Leo's ancestors were from either the Dominican Republic or Haiti, two countries that share an island in the Caribbean, and his family has roots in the Creole culture of New Orleans in the southern US state of Louisiana.