The new pontiff's agenda could include a visit to the Canary Islands to analyze the archipelago's migration situation firsthand, a trip that Francis was unable to make due to his delicate state of health.
The Vatican already has a new tenant. And in the Canary Islands, more than one person has already thought about preparing Gando airport for his arrival. The newly elected Leo XIV—the papal name of Robert Francis Prevost—arrives with a profile that fits like a glove with many of the realities experienced in the archipelago. Not only has he worked with vulnerable communities for decades, but, unlike many other cardinals, he knows what it's like to be on the social frontier. And, most importantly, he speaks about migration with knowledge of the facts, not from the comfort of an office.
Without going any further, during his time as Cardinal Prevost he has positioned himself against immigration policy of mass deportations that the Donald Trump government has implemented since his arrival at the White House and even as early as 2015, before Trump's first term, He shared articles that called his “anti-immigrant rhetoric” dangerous..
“All these migration movements are a huge global problem. But there must be a solution to both issues: to address the migration issue and to treat all immigrants with respect.” These were the statements of the Holy Father when he was still a cardinal, on August 7 during a homily at St. Jude Church in the state of Illinois, United States.
Prevost, of American origin and naturalized Peruvian, has been a missionary in Latin America, and has worked closely with those who have to leave everything behind to seek a better life. It is no coincidence that one of his first mentions as Pope was to thank his predecessor, Francis, for his social legacy. Nor is it a coincidence that he chose to call himself Leo XIV, in homage to Pope Leo XIII, the rerum Novarum, the encyclical that first addressed decent work, social justice, and respect for the poor. Everything indicates that this pastoral approach is not only maintained but strengthened.
With this profile, it is not surprising that The Diocese of the Canary Islands has already announced that a formal invitation will be extended to Leo XIV to visit the archipelago.A gesture that, if realized, would fulfill Francis's unfulfilled wish, as he had expressed on more than one occasion his intention to visit the islands, especially as a focal point for migratory routes. The Canary Islands, and especially the south of Gran Canaria, remain a key location in this reality; not to mention the painful images from 2020, where thousands of migrants were crammed onto the Arguineguín dock.
Because if there's one thing Leo XIV isn't lacking, it's humanity. His homilies in Peru, his visits to prisons, his work with indigenous communities, and his time in neighborhoods where even running water isn't available have hardened him in a Church of earth and mud that, in all likelihood, will continue to be very present during his papacy.
The question seems to be not whether he will come, but when. And if he does, it will be a historic moment for the Canary Islands; because it's not every day that a Pope decides to look this way, and because it could represent a gesture of continuity with the papacy of Francis, fulfilling his wish to set foot on Canary Island soil to engage with migrants firsthand.
