VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo urged the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Sunday to care for immigrants, pressing ahead with a message of welcome for migrants days after criticising US President Donald Tru­mp’s hard-line anti-immigration policies.

Leo, the first US pope, told thousands of pilgrims celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square that immigrants should not be treated with “the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination”.

The pope, who did not single out any country for its treatment of migrants, called on Catholics to “open our arms and hearts to them, welcoming them as brothers and sisters, and being for them a presence of consolation and hope.”

Leo had criticised the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Sept 30, questioning whet­her they were in line with the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings, in comments that drew heated backlash from some prominent conservative Catholics.

The pope said the global Church was experiencing “a new missionary age” in which it was tasked with offering “hospitality and welcome, compassion and solidarity” to migrants fleeing violence or searching for a safe place to live.

“In the communities of ancient Christian tradition, such as those of the West, the presence of many brothers and sisters from the world’s South should be welcomed as an opportunity, through an exchange that renews the face of the Church,” he said.

Leo spoke from a prepared text. He was addressing a weekend event during the Catholic Church’s ongoing holy year that was specially organised for migrants, which the Vatican said had attracted over 10,000 pilgrims.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2025