Pope Leo XIV, during his apostolic visit to Spain, met with people working to welcome migrants at the port of Arguinegín on June 11th. He listened to several testimonies that revealed the best that exists in the human heart when welcoming those seeking a more dignified life. The testimony of a migrant woman, Blessing, who is currently at risk of death after a very difficult and suffering life at the hands of human traffickers, was particularly impactful and was read aloud by another woman.
Here is the Holy Father’s response: “Dear Blessing, although you are not here today, your voice is. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your name means blessing and reminds us that every human life is a blessing from God. No one can buy it, sell it, use it or discard it, because in each person shines the image and likeness of the Creator (cf. Gn 1, 27). You told us that you fled your country not because you wanted to, but because there was no other option. In your words, we hear the drama of so many people forced to leave because poverty, war, threats or exploitation blocked all their paths. You are a sister, you are a blessing. Your life does not belong to those who harmed you; your body does not belong to those who took advantage of you; your days do not belong to those who sought to chain them to fear. Your life belongs to God and retains a dignity that cannot be taken from you. And we want to walk with you until this truth is felt again in a way stronger than pain.”