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The arrival at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport shortly after half past ten in the morning marked the official start of a trip that will run until 12 June and take in Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
It is the first apostolic visit by Leo XIV to Spain since his election as pontiff on 8 May 2025, and the first by any pope to the country in fifteen years, since Benedict XVI attended World Youth Day in 2011.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia welcomed the pontiff on the airport tarmac. From there, the journey to the Royal Palace drew tens of thousands of people onto the streets of the city centre.
According to figures from the Government Delegation, around 130,000 people packed the area between the Royal Palace and the Nunciature to watch the popemobile pass by, as it travelled along Plaza de España, Calle de la Princesa and Plaza de Colón at reduced speed so the pope could greet the faithful.
The official reception was marked by some notable absences. Former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero declined to attend, as did Basque lehendakari Imanol Pradales and MPs from most parties represented in parliament.
Those who did attend included former prime ministers Felipe González, José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy, as well as the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal. Abascal, for his part, used the visit to criticise prime minister Pedro Sánchez, whom he accused of trying to “whitewash” his image in the shadow of the pontiff.
The speech: peace, complexity and a message on polarisation
In his first official address in Spain, Leon XIV steered clear of easy, headline-grabbing soundbites and opted instead for a reflective tone that did not shy away from uncomfortable issues. He praised Spain’s historical record as a meeting place between cultures and religions, citing Alfonso X’s school of translators and cities such as Córdoba and Toledo as examples of coexistence.
Then, without naming anyone in particular, he issued a direct warning: “I invite everyone, for love of the truth, to abandon the divisive, polarising narratives of your social reality and its history, and to move from sterile simplifications to a fruitful appreciation of complexity.”
He also thanked Spain for its stance on international conflicts. The programme for the trip comprises 21 events over six days in four locations, but this first speech at the Royal Palace has already set the tone for what is expected: a pope ready to speak openly about international politics.
He praised Spain’s commitment to international law and multilateralism, in a remark many interpreted as an implicit endorsement of Spain’s position on Gaza, Ukraine and the reception of migrants.
Felipe VI, for his part, was more explicit than usual on the subject of abuse within the Church, stressing the need for reparation and support for victims, in the first instance of the king addressing the issue so directly in front of a pontiff.
Abuse, the social agenda and what lies ahead
The Vatican has finally confirmed that Leon XIV will meet victims of sexual abuse committed by members of the Church during his stay in Spain, although without specifying dates or locations, after criticism over the initial absence of such meetings from the official programme.
Several associations have insisted that this must not be a symbolic gesture but a genuine commitment. “We do not want a photo with the pope; we want rights and reparation for all victims,” they summed up in a joint statement.
This afternoon, the pontiff will visit the Cedia centre run by Cáritas Madrid, where he will spend time with homeless people, before presiding over the first major mass gathering in Plaza de Lima, with more than 240,000 young people registered. On Monday 8 he will address the Cortes Generales, an unprecedented event in Spain’s parliamentary history.
He will then travel to Barcelona, where he will celebrate Mass in the Sagrada Família and inaugurate the Torre de Jesucristo, which will make Gaudí’s basilica the tallest religious structure in the world. The trip will conclude in the Canary Islands, where Leon XIV will visit reception centres for migrants in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, a gesture seen as a continuation of the approach taken by his predecessor Francis.
According to estimates by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, the trip involves an outlay of around 25 million euros, although the economic return could exceed 150 million. Booking platforms such as Booking.com have already recorded increases of 52% in searches for accommodation in Barcelona and 46% in Madrid
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