Much commentary following the habemus papam [we have a Pope] announcement on May 8th has focused on Pope Leo XIV’s prospects on several geopolitical debates - from disarmament to human rights, climate change to migration. Most have spotlighted Robert Francis Prevost’s experiences as Augustinian friar, missionary, and then bishop, with extensive works across the Americas as much as in the Vatican itself.

Although Pope Leo XIV’s missionary efforts can already testify to his heartfelt compassion for migrants, the key to grasp the Pope’s outlook on displacement is more complex and compels us to look further back into the Church’s historical commitment to marginalised groups. His pontificate encapsulates both his spiritual calling and a more ancient tradition – the Church’s progressive institutionalisation of services to assist forced migrants worldwide.

The Church’s mission of compassion is hardly new. Rooted in the ancient principle of philoxenia- the love and hospitality toward strangers - the Christian tradition has long reached out to migrants. Since the early 1800s, Europe’s demographic growth combined with liberal immigration policies in the Americas drove annual migrant flows to about 400,000 by 1880, surging to an estimated two million by 1910. The mass migration of Italians, particularly to the USA, spurred reactions from the Popes of the time amid growing alarm over what was described as an “alarming faith loss” at the 1883 Council of Baltimore. Unlike Catholic Germans abroad, who benefitted from the Patronage of Saint Raphael since 1872, Italian emigrants found themselves without adequate pastoral care once they reached their new homes.

During Pope Pius IX’s pontificate (1846–1878), various religious orders organised missions to assist Italians overseas, bolstered by the Congregation Propaganda Fide -the Holy See’s evangelisation office. Later, Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903), whose legacy and name inspire thecurrent pontiff, provided financial backing for these crucial initiatives.

In fact, following the missionary impulse of religious orders during Pius IX’s pontificate, Pope Leo XIII sponsored a more structured approach to support Italians abroad in the model of St Raphael’s Patronage for Germans. As a result, in 1887 Bishop Giovanni Battista Scalabrini (1839 – 1905) founded the Congregation of Priestly Fraternity of Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo for their pastoral care in the US and in Brazil.

Noticing the need for coordination among religious orders, Scalabrini was the first one to propose the creation of a Dicastery in the Roman Curia for the pastoral care of Catholics migrants “of all nationalities,” rather than catering only for Italian migrants abroad with ad hoc solutions. Scalabrini envisioned a systematised pastoral activity which could be the opportunity for a new way to “evangelise new lands” and for further unity among the people.

The evolution of migrant care extended beyond the missions of religious orders. Following the articulation of Catholic Social Doctrine in 1891, national Catholic charities began addressing issues of human mobility. Paying heed to the socio-political outreach of the Church envisioned by Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum, the German priest Lorenz Werthmann established the first ever “Charitas Committee” in Freiburg in 1895 - a precursor to the officially recognised Caritas associations in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the USA.

Meanwhile, initiatives such as the federation known as Italica Gens, which united religious orders including the Augustinian fathers for Italian migrants in the Americas, underscored the need for international solidarity. By 1912, Pope Pius X (1903 – 1914) set up an office within the Consistorial Congregation specifically to handle “problems of migration,” an entity that eventually evolved into the Congregation for Bishops and later the Dicastery for Bishops.

Pope Leo XIV himself embodies this dual legacy. He served both as the Augustinians’ General Superior (2001 – 2013) and as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (2023 – 2025), as well as Board member of Caritas Peru (2022 – 2024). He has therefore represented institutions that have long provided for the displaced. His ascent also follows, and in many ways builds upon, Pope Francis’s reforms that brought renewed focus on forced migration.

Under Pope Francis' landmark reshaping of the Curia, the Holy See established its central office for migrant and refugee care - the Migrants & Refugees Section- in 2016. Initially configured as a semi-autonomous unit within the newly established Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Section amalgamated former offices focused on justice, peace, and migration. Following the approval of the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium in January 2023, this office was fully integrated into the Dicastery with restructured responsibilities, now shepherded by Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ.

Drawing on decades of service in Latin America and on his work with the eponymous Pontifical Commission, Pope Leo XIV’s mission is steeped in the Augustinian spirituality and in the Church’s progressive institutionalisation of migrant care. His approach uniquely combines his pastoral experiences with institutional memory, striving to maintain a dynamic dialogue between longstanding religious tradition and contemporary transformation.

On his inaugural address on May 8, Pope Leo XIV urged the world to “keep in our ears the weak voice of Pope Francis that blessed Rome”, reaffirming that “God loves us all, unconditionally”. This commitment transforms ideals into palpable encounters with every migrant, refugee, and displaced person. His early and adamant online criticisms of exploitative and exclusionary policies - well before his ascension - further affirm the depth and sincerity of his dedication.

Amid the surge of forced migration, Pope Leo XIV underscores that the Church’s compassion is ever evolving. His papacy - firmly seated at the crossroads of a storied missionary legacy and progressive reforms - melds contemplative spirituality with concrete, inclusive activism, creating a dynamic rhythm that speaks to both tradition and transformation.

Dr Stefano Intropido is an expert on the politics of the Catholic Church, with a particular focus on the Holy See’s engagement with modern global challenges. Combining historical analysis with contemporary insights, his research explores the intersection of religious institutions and political frameworks, examining topics such as migration, and the Holy See's role in international diplomacy. 

 

First published: 16 May 2025

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