Pope Leo XIV reminds Catholics of duty to welcome and assist migrants

Pope Leo XIV has invited Catholic faithful to choose between God and money, as well as justice and injustice.

He was speaking in St Peter’s Square on Saturday, the first day of the Jubilees of Migrants and the Missionary World.

Addressing the over 40,000 pilgrims present, he said people should use God’s gifts to create a more just and equitable world.

“In order to start everything afresh, the Jubilee also opens up the hope of a different distribution of wealth, the possibility that the Earth belongs to everyone, because in reality this is not the case,” he said.

“In this year we must choose whom to serve, justice or injustice, God or money. To hope is to choose. This means at least two things. The most obvious is that the world changes if we change."

A Catholic faithful, originally from Nigeria, Regina Ubiaco, side migrants were happy to be in St Peter’s Square with the Pope who she described as “one of our own”.

“Because in reality he is also a migrant, though from another part of the world. And we are happy to be here to have this common sense of being together,” she said.

“Celebrating with him it means a lot to us and that is why every migrant, we came from different parts of Italy to come and have this day with the Pope.”

Speaking on Sunday, Pope Leo reminded Catholics of their duty to welcome and assist migrants.

His message comes days after the US-born pontiff criticised President Donald Trump’s hardline anti-immigration policies.