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Pope Leo XIV stated that all peoples in the world, including the smallest and weakest, must be respected and cannot be forced into “exile” when receiving a group of refugees from the Chagos Archipelago.
“All peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and rights, particularly the right to live on their own lands; and no one can force them into exile,” declared the pontiff.
On the same day, Leo XIV met with the president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN), Carlos Enrique Herrera, who was exiled in 2024 by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
Meeting with Chagos Refugees
First, Leo XIV met at the Vatican with a delegation from the Chagos Refugees Group, an association of refugees in Mauritius who, for fifty years, have sought to return to the Chagos Archipelago after being expelled by the United Kingdom.
In May 2024, the British government signed a historic agreement committing to return the Chagos Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean, to its former colony, Mauritius.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated this treaty for the return of Chagos to the island republic as “a significant step for the return home” of these refugees expelled in the last century from their islands.
“I pay tribute to the determination of the Chagossian people, particularly the women, in the peaceful assertion of their rights. The renewed prospect of their return to their native archipelago is an encouraging sign and holds symbolic power on the international stage,” said the U.S. pontiff.
He also thanked the involved parties for “understanding the suffering of their people and reaching this agreement.”
“I am glad that dialogue and respect for the decisions of international law, as my predecessor wished upon returning from the trip to Mauritius, have finally been able to remedy a grave injustice,” he stated, recalling Pope Francis.
Leo XIV also urged the authorities of Mauritius and the international community to commit to the return of Chagos inhabitants sixty years later, ensuring that this return “occurs under the best possible conditions.”
To this end, he promised the contribution of the local church.
“These years of exile have caused you great suffering. You have known poverty, contempt, and exclusion. May the Lord, with the prospect of a better future, heal your wounds and grant you the grace of forgiveness toward those who have harmed you. I invite you to look resolutely toward the future,” urged the Pope.
Meeting with Monsignor Herrera
The meeting between Pope Leo XIV and CEN president Monsignor Herrera was confirmed by the Holy See, though its content has not been disclosed.
Herrera, also the Bishop of Jinotega, 75, was expelled from Nicaragua in November 2024 after criticizing the mayor of that locality for interrupting a Mass, accusing him of “sacrilege.”
His exile followed that of other bishops such as Rolando Álvarez and Isidoro Mora, as well as harassment and repression of other clergy.
Relations between the Nicaraguan regime and the Catholic Church have gone through tense moments, including the expulsion, imprisonment, and revocation of nationality of Nicaraguan bishops and priests.
Additionally, Nicaragua maintains suspended diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
In his still-brief pontificate, Leo XIV has not yet publicly addressed the situation in Nicaragua, a country he knows and where he previously served as a missionary.
After his election as Pope on May 8, the Nicaraguan government congratulated him and wished that he could help promote peace, despite the diplomatic ties with the Vatican remaining suspended.
With information from Efe.
