Pope Francis’ first trip was to the island of Lampedusa, in Italy, one of the epicenters of the migration crisis in Europe. Throughout his 12-year pontificate, he visited virtually every place on the continent where the immigration situation is critical. Only one place was missing: Spain—more specifically, the Canary Islands.
That’s why in October 2024, Spanish authorities proposed that then-Pope Francis make this visit. They also invited him to take part in a particular conference scheduled for June 2025.
PEDRO SÁNCHEZ, President of the Government of Spain
There have been two invitations extended to Pope Francis, which I conveyed on behalf of the Government of Spain and, I believe, also on behalf of Spanish society as a whole. One was to the Canary Islands, given the Holy See’s interest in learning about the reality of the Canary people and their solidarity with the migrants arriving on their shores. And finally, I requested the presence of the Catholic Church, of the Holy See—ideally Pope Francis himself—at the important Conference on Financing for Development that will take place in June 2025 in Seville.
Pope Leo could now take up these invitations, which the Spanish president reiterated during their phone call, in which they also discussed the migration crisis and, according to the Holy See, human dignity.
The International Conference on Financing for Development will be held from June 30 to July 3. It aims to be an occasion to advance the goals of the 2030 Agenda established by the UN in 2015.
JRB
Trans. CRT
