Pope Leo XIV concluded his weeklong visit to Spain in high-powered mode, with fire in his soul, on the Canary Island of Tenerife where on June 12 he issued a mighty denunciation of those who traffic or exploit migrants, shouting, “Stop! Repent!”

He did so in the Plaza de Cristo de La Laguna in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a small city in the northern part of the island of Tenerife. “From this square,” he said, “I wish to address a clear message to those who take advantage of people’s desperation, to those who organize death routes, traffic in human beings, withhold documents, exploit workers, threaten women, deceive families and turn the suffering of others into a business. Stop! Repent!” 

He warned them that “the tears and blood of these brothers and sisters cry out to God, and their suffering reaches him. The money wrested from the vulnerability of the poor will bring neither peace, nor honor, nor a future. For every life lost, every family deceived, every body subjugated, every woman threatened, every worker exploited, you will have to appear before divine justice.”

He called them to “[b]reak those chains and free those you hold in bondage. Return what has been taken and make amends as much as you can. Repent while there is still time, for God’s mercy can reach even the most hardened sinner, but it enters only through the narrow gate of truth, justice and conversion.”

Pope Leo’s call to traffickers and exploiters to “stop and repent” was reminiscent of the denunciations of the Mafia by John Paul II and Francis. Leo issued it in the middle of a wide-ranging speech that appeared, in many parts, to be addressed not just to the 2.7 million inhabitants of the Canary Islands and Spain, but also to a European and international audience.

He called on them not only “to welcome and protect” the many migrants who arrive on the southern shores of Europe, escaping from war, violence, poverty or climate change, but also “to integrate and promote” them.

He warned against the migrants suffering a “second shipwreck,” “a silent shipwreck” through rejection or isolation, after their arrival. 

As he did yesterday with his talk in Gran Canaria, so too today he reminded his local and global audience yet again that each migrant is a human being made in the image and likeness of God, and has a “human dignity” that must be respected. Moreover, he said, “here [where] human suffering is touched with love, Christ confirms to us that he is present in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned and the stranger.”

The American-born pope explained that “integration does not mean erasing the history of those who arrive or demanding that they leave behind everything that is part of their memory. Nor does it mean creating parallel worlds, closed off from one another, where people live side by side without truly encountering one another. Integration is a reciprocal journey: Those who arrive learn to inhabit a new land, and those who welcome them learn to expand their own homes without diluting their identity or closing their hearts to the encounter.” 

He recalled that “Saint Brother Peter and Saint Joseph of Anchieta set sail from these Canary Islands to preach the Gospel in America, opening new missionary horizons.” 

“They too were migrants,” he said, “who ventured into the unknown, carrying faith, hope and charity as their greatest possessions” and “in those unknown lands, the holy migrants and missionaries shared what they had and likewise welcomed the new things that were offered to them.”

He invited the migrants—and mentioned not only those from Africa and Latin America but also those from the Phillipines—“to share the treasures of your humanity, of your dreams and of your culture, which you have brought to these islands” and “to be open to receiving what is offered to you.” He told them: “We must live this exchange responsibly, considering the future generations to whom we wish to bequeath the heritage of a civilization of love.”

On arriving at the island’s northern airport this morning, Pope Leo traveled by car to Las Raíces (“Roots”) reception and housing center that now houses 700 migrants, mainly from West Africa. The center, a former military base, was set up five years ago and since then 70,000 migrants have passed through it, the director of Las Raíces told the pope. 

Here at Las Raíces, as in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Leo listened to testimonies from migrants. He then spoke and recalled that today was the feast of the Sacred Heart and said: “God’s love knows no borders, makes no distinctions, is given to all and brings us together in unity.” 

Leo told the migrants that they too have a part to play: “[You have] to open yourselves with trust to the community that welcomes you, to learn its language, to respect its laws, to get to know its customs, to participate in communal life and to offer your gifts with gratitude.”

When he finished speaking, Leo went and greeted several migrants before going to San Cristóbal de La Laguna, where—at the end of his talk—he was treated to a song and musical performance from a Peruvian group living there. He is expected to be in Peru in mid-November, as part of a journey to Latin America that will also include visits to Argentina and Uruguay (though the Vatican has yet to confirm it).

From San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Leo traveled by car to the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a city in the north of the island, where he received another enthusiastic welcome before celebrating a truly festive Mass for 40,000 islanders.

In his homily, he reminded them that “[n]o human being is an island” and said: “The geographical location of this diocese and the pastoral challenges it faces bear witness to the fact that we are born for encounter and that no obstacle, distance, danger or threat can prevent anyone from making the journey.”

He thanked these islanders “for who you are and for what you do, for making this island a place of encounter with the heart of Christ in the friendly and hospitable faces of people and fraternal communities.” He reminded them that “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” and said, “[T]his is the heart of the Gospel, the heart of Christ. Whoever immerses themselves in it no longer lives for themselves.” He concluded by encouraging them to “open this sea of love to everyone!” 

The islanders applauded warmly when he finished speaking and set off for the airport, where King Felipe VI was waiting for him. In a mark of respect, the King flew down from Madrid to bid him a royal farewell. 

Thus concluded Pope Leo’s very successful visit to Spain, a country that he had visited more than 20 times before becoming pope. During the visit, we saw a tireless Pope Leo greet many people, bless countless babies and speak off the cuff on several occasions. He clearly enjoyed his visit here, and so too did the people of Spain who turned out in great numbers to cheer him on and receive his blessing. 

Spain was the eighth country that he has visited since his election, the next one is nearby France at the end of September. But before that, he will travel to Lampedusa to again draw global attention to the situation of migrants, in Europe and elsewhere.

News update: Due to engine trouble, Pope Leo did not travel back to Rome in the papal plane and thus did not give a press conference. The King of Spain took the pope and other Vatican officials back home in his plane, while an additional plane was brought in to transport the Vatican press corps.