Pope Leo XIV arrives in the popemobile at Plaza de Cibeles for a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession in Madrid, Spain, on June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands.
| Photo Credit: AP
More than 1.2 million people filled the streets of Madrid on Sunday (June 7, 2026) for a mass by Pope Leo XIV at which he called for a renewal of the Catholic faith in Spain.King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined throngs of devotees waving Spanish and Vatican flags in Cibeles Square for a service filled with religious symbolism.In his homily, Pope Leo said Spaniards should not look at religion as "a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today".The mass comes on day two of Pope Leo's seven-day visit to Spain, a traditional Catholic bastion where religious observance has been declining sharply in recent years as in much of western Europe.A huge logistical and security operation was in place for the event, after which the pope led a traditional procession along a route lined with white and yellow carnations -- the Vatican flag colours.Organisers said there were more than 1.2 million people attending in the square and the surrounding area.Nico Aldeanueva, 28, who was visiting from Philadelphia in the United States, said the pope was "a very unifying force in a moment where we have division across so many different fronts"."We have, it seems like, never-ending conflict and for the time being here you get to hit pause and get to enjoy the moment and feel the faith."Ana Milagros, 64, who was waving a Vatican flag, said she thought the US-born pope seemed "approachable" and "very sincere"."There is a lot of polarisation and differences in politics, in social matters, in the economy," she said, adding: "The pope is trying with this visit... to help all of us."
