Tue Oct 14 11:58:42 UTC 2025: ## FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
**The Hindu Reports: Pope Leo XIV Urges Italy to Maintain Openness to Migrants in First Foreign Trip**
**Rome, October 14, 2025 (The Hindu) -** In his first official trip abroad, Pope Leo XIV traveled from Vatican City to Rome today to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace. Escorted by the presidential guard cavalry, the pontiff’s motorcade traversed the city in a symbolic three-kilometer procession.
Addressing dignitaries, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of Italy maintaining “an attitude of openness and solidarity towards migrants,” characterizing migration as one of the era’s major challenges. He expressed gratitude for Italy’s assistance to migrants and efforts to combat human trafficking, while also highlighting the need for constructive integration of newcomers.
The Pope acknowledged Italy’s care for Gazan children, noting that approximately 200 have received medical treatment in Roman hospitals since the beginning of the 2023 conflict. He also reiterated the Catholic Church’s stance on abortion and euthanasia, emphasizing the need to protect life from conception to death.
The visit underscores the close diplomatic ties between Italy and Vatican City, governed by the 1929 Lateran Agreements. The Quirinale Palace, formerly a papal residence for three centuries, has served as the home of the Italian head of state since 1870.
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