Cardinal Bustillo calls on political leaders to act on migration
Francisco Javier Bustillo, the bishop of Ajaccio in Corsica, told Cadena SER that public authorities must take responsibility for receiving migrants, and said the Church's role is to insist on the dignity of every person
Cardinal Francisco Javier Bustillo, the bishop of Ajaccio on the French island of Corsica, has called on public authorities to take responsibility for receiving migrants and for addressing vulnerable situations at the borders. He spoke in an interview with the Spanish radio network Cadena SER on August 25, 2026, during a visit to Arre, the town in Navarre where he was born. He said the dignity of every human being has to be respected, and warned of a "deficit of humanity" that shows itself in violence and in fear of others.
The cardinal spoke about his own experience as an immigrant, recalling that he left his country to live in another, and said the French welcomed him "with much esteem, with much joy and with much respect." He linked that experience to the Gospel: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was thirsty, I was hungry and you welcomed me."
"For a human being, being welcomed well is important," Bustillo said. On the Church's role in migration policy, he said the point is not to lecture public authorities but to remind them of human and universal principles, above all respect and the dignity of each person.
The Church has to keep insisting on the need to "humanize our humanity," he said, especially in a society marked by violence and fear of others. He said political leaders have tools the Church does not have, and that each has its own responsibility.
Situation in Ceuta and political responsibility
Asked about the crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish city on the North African coast where thousands of people have crossed the border in recent weeks, Bustillo pointed to the responsibility of political leaders. "There are political leaders who have a responsibility, who must act," he said. He again stressed the importance of human dignity and asked what those in public office can do so that "human beings find their space, their dignity and their life."
He recalled a line from the First Letter of St. John, which calls for love "not only with words, but with actions and in truth."
Dialogue rather than force
On international conflicts, the cardinal argued for dialogue instead of force, focusing on the situation in Palestine. He said he talked at the end of July with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and described the situation as "very difficult." Problems should be solved through dialogue rather than force, he said, and he urged people with political, economic, ecclesial or spiritual responsibilities to meet, talk and act.
Bustillo also spoke about the pontificate of Leo XIV, describing him as a pope with "much authority" and, above all, with a "serene authority." He distinguished that from authoritarianism, saying the new pope's style conveys calm and is directed toward "moving forward" and "loving."
He recalled Leo XIV's first words from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on May 8, 2025: "Peace and unity." Those principles, Bustillo said, are particularly needed in a society he called "very divided and very violent." The world needs human and spiritual leadership, he said, and the pope can exercise that authority because he "does not crush others," but encourages reflection and opens the spirit to fundamental principles.
