The inhabitants of Lampedusa write to the Pope: 'Here a miracle of brotherhood'

"This is not just a simple stone temple, but a living miracle of brotherhood. In a world that too often uses the name of God to draw boundaries, this small sanctuary has been proof for centuries that heaven is one. Your presence, Holy Father, within these simple walls rich with history, would be a balsam for the wounds of our time".

Thus, a committee of Lampedusans addresses Leo XIV in a letter sent to him in anticipation of his visit to the Sicilian island on July 4th. This is revealed in the current issue of "Maria con te", the Marian weekly of the San Paolo Editorial Group.

The community of Lampedusa has invited Leo XIV to visit the "house" of the Madonna di Porto Salvo, patroness of the island that welcomes the highest number of migrants in Europe. Thirteen years after the historic meeting with Pope Francis, Lampedusa is preparing to welcome the Prelate.

The program for the visit of Leo XIV is being developed, but the devotees and faithful of the island hope that the Pontiff can cross the gates of the Marian temple:

"Here," the letter continues, "the Barbary corsairs and Christian sailors, enemies on the open sea, laid down their arms and hostilities. It was a free zone of the spirit, where the sacredness of life prevailed over dogma. The island was then uninhabited, but the sanctuary served as a 'storehouse of mercy'. Inside the cave were supplies of biscuits, oil, wine, and clothing, left by sailors as ex-voto. Anyone who shipwrecked or landed out of necessity could draw from these goods, with the only honor pact to return or replace what was taken once they were safe again. It was a system of spiritual and material welfare that made no distinctions of race or religion."

For this reason, the community explains at the conclusion of the letter, «Our Lady of Porto Salvo is not just a statue, but the symbol of a humanity that recognizes itself as fragile in the face of the abyss. In this place, Marian devotion has shed its splendor to become a refuge. Visiting Porto Salvo, Holy Father, for us means blessing a place where interreligious dialogue was not born in books, but in mutual aid. Lampedusa offers the testimony of a faith that welcomes and does not exclude. We await you to show the world that the port of salvation always has its doors open».