When Pope Leo XIV makes good on his promise to visit the tiny island of Lampedusa, some will cheer his message of solidarity for the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have landed on its shores.

Louisiana archdioceses have designated pilgrimage sites for visitors to celebrate and observe the Jubilee, which ends Jan. 6, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV walks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella during an official welcoming ceremony at the Quirinal Palace in Rome Oct. 14, 2025. The event marked the pope’s first state visit since the beginning of his pontificate. (CNS photo/courtesy of the Presidency of the Italian Republic)

Pope Francis will begin his first full day in the United States Wednesday with a meeting at the White House. The welcome ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. with President Barack Obama and the first lady greeting the pope on the South Lawn.

WASHINGTON -- Pope Francis marked the anniversary Monday of the day he decided as a teenager to become a priest by pressing a subtle message to Cubans at a delicate point in their own history: Overcome ideological preconceptions and be willing to change.