Just two months into his Papacy, Francis made a historic visit to Italy's migrant Island of Lampedusa. During this visit he mingled freely with the immigrants, listened and prayed with them. The coverage by both secular and religious media was enormous. Over the past two years the Pope has made it a tradition to wash the feet of immigrants from various parts of the world during Holy Thursday. I think religious leaders from the areas this intervention will target can play the critical role of highlighting the suffering women, children and the elderly go through during migration. Senior clergy can bring attention to this matter by hosting them in their places of worship and visiting them at their point of need.

We are called to walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice.