Pope Leo XIV has begun a weeklong visit to Spain, bringing the American pontiff to one of Europe’s historic centres of Christianity at a moment of political tension, social change and renewed curiosity about faith.
Issued on: 06/06/2026 - 11:03
4 min Reading time
The trip, his first to Spain and the first by any pope to the country in 15 years, opened in Madrid on Saturday with a welcome from King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Later, Leo will lead a prayer vigil with young people, many of whom will be seeing a pope on Spanish soil for the first time. The Vatican has confirmed that Leo will also meet survivors of clergy sexual abuse during the visit. The meeting underlines how deeply the crisis continues to shape papal travel, especially in Spain, where the Catholic hierarchy has only belatedly begun confronting decades of abuse and cover-up. The visit suggests Leo is returning papal attention to Europe and its Christian roots. Pope Francis largely stayed away from the continent’s traditional Catholic centres, focusing instead on smaller communities farther afield. Leo, by contrast, has already made stops in Monaco and San Marino, with a visit to France planned for September. His message in Spain is expected to focus on peace, unity and human dignity as Europe grapples with Russia’s war in Ukraine, the fallout from the US-Israeli war in Iran and anxiety over artificial intelligence. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said young people would be a major audience, as the Church tries to help them imagine the future in an unsettled age.
