Pope calls on Europe from Lampedusa, Sánchez faces pressure

04.07.2026 14:01 HotInfo

Pope Leo XIV visited the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday, July 4, where he paid tribute to the memory of migrants who died while trying to reach Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. At the Gate of Europe memorial, he laid flowers, prayed for the victims, and called on European leaders for a joint and humane response to migration. ta3.com ↗

The visit followed the line set by his predecessor Francis and underscored Lampedusa's status as a symbol of hope, humanity, and the boundary between the holiday Mediterranean and the sea of shipwrecked migrants. The day before, in a speech addressed to the United States, the Pope had already praised the acceptance of immigrants as part of the American tradition of freedom. hnonline.sk ↗

Meanwhile, the dispute with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X continues at the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV confirmed the excommunication of six bishops after the group, in defiance of a ban, ordained additional bishops in Switzerland. The Society subsequently called the excommunications unjust and invalid. Welt ↗

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez remains under pressure over the migration program as well as corruption cases. More than a million undocumented migrants have applied for legal residency status, meaning the program has exceeded original estimates. New developments have also emerged with the formal investigation of Civil Guard chief Mercedes González on suspicion of obstructing investigations into cases linked to the governing PSOE. Also lingering in the background of the political crisis are reports about meetings between former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and ministers, as well as with Sánchez, during his time as an advisor. svet.sme.sk ↗