Preparations ahead of the visit of Pope Leo XIV in Madrid
From institutions to the peripheries: Pope Leo's
pilgrimage to Spain
The Director of the Holy See Press Office outlines for
journalists the Pope's fourth international Apostolic Journey to Madrid,
Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, addressing the themes of peace, disarmament,
unity, youth, culture, new technologies, and migration, while encouraging a
Church that "still has much to say on many levels."
By Salvatore Cernuzio
Pope Leo XIV's upcoming Apostolic Journey to Spain,
scheduled for June 6–12, is significant in every respect. So too is the
anticipation surrounding this fourth international trip, which will see Leo XIV
travel 2,500 kilometers, stopping in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands
(Gran Canaria and Tenerife).
Many speeches, many meetings, many journeys through plazas
and stadiums, many people—an estimated half a million faithful are expected to
attend the various events—and many themes: from disarmament to peace, from the
role of the Church to the challenges facing Spain and Europe, from the defense
of life to migration.
"Needless to say, expectations are high," began
Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, as he presented the
program and details of the Pope's pilgrimage to "a land of ancient
Christian tradition."
"A land," the Vatican spokesman said, "that
served as a laboratory of dialogue between different worlds in the heart of the
Middle Ages. A land of great thinkers and Christian culture: the School of
Salamanca, where in the sixteenth century scholastic theology and international
law met, helping to shape reflection on the rights and dignity of every human
person."
It is also the land of "great saints" such as St.
John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Ávila, whose thought resonates
prophetically with the challenges of our own time.
Themes of the journey
In Spain, the Pope will encounter this rich historical and
cultural heritage while meeting representatives of the Church and public
institutions, as well as thousands of young people, families, and figures from
the worlds of sport, culture, and entertainment—some of whom will participate
in the public events.
The dialogue between Church, politics, and culture as tools
for overcoming polarization, along with reflection on technological and human
progress—also in light of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas—will
be among the central themes of the Pope's 23 speeches, greetings, and homilies.
Naturally, peace will also be a major focus in an age marked
by wars. Closely connected is the theme of disarmament, "at a time when
the use of weapons is increasingly being justified," Bruni noted.
"In this sense," he added, "one may also
reflect on the role of the Church in Spain, and more broadly in Europe, in
light of its history—all of its history—as a precious treasure in moments of
greatness as well as in times of crisis."
The voice of the Church
Pope Leo's visit is intended as both a sign and an
encouragement for a Church that "still has much to say on many levels, in
Spain and in Europe, where it can fully contribute as a constructive
participant in public debate," Bruni said.
He also referred to the issue of "the defense of
life"—every life, especially the most vulnerable. This concern extends to
the topic of migration, which will come into sharp focus during the Pope's
visit to the ports of the Canary Islands, a setting that in recent years has
witnessed countless human and family tragedies linked to arrivals along the
notorious Atlantic migration route.
At these locations, the Pope will hear migrants' stories,
witness efforts to welcome them, and encounter "a land of missionary
saints who departed from here to bring the Gospel to the world."
Encountering a people and their faith
Before that, however, are stops in Madrid and
Barcelona—cities with their own traditions of openness and hospitality. Among
the highlights will be the Basilica of Sagrada Família, with its profound
symbolism of faith, during the centenary year of the death of its architect
Antoni Gaudí, commemorated on June 10.
Pope Leo XIV, Bruni explained, "is addressing a people
living in a highly secularized society, yet one in which Christian roots remain
deeply embedded in cultural references and beyond."
This journey is therefore "an encounter with the faith
of a people" still attached to popular religious traditions like
processions. The Pope himself will participate in the Corpus Christi procession
on Sunday, June 7. It is a faith that "does not remain confined within
church walls but walks through the streets."
Borrowing a well-known expression of Pope Francis, Bruni
described it not as "a museum faith" but as "a faith that bears
fruit for the future."
Young people—from Spain and beyond—will be another
particular focus of the papal visit. According to Bruni, the Pope intends to
offer them "a message rich in substance, capable of imagining the future
together with them, and of inspiring the Church, in an age of strong men, to
raise up holy men and women."
Places of solidarity and symbols of the Atlantic border
Beyond the words, it will be a trip of powerful images: the
Pope at the Royal Palace and the Congress of Deputies; at Madrid's Movistar
Arena and Santiago Bernabéu Stadium; at the Abbey of Montserrat and the Sagrada
Família, where he will inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ—the crowning
feature of Gaudí's masterpiece—with a blessing for the people followed by a
light and fireworks display.
Another symbolic stop will be the port of Arguineguín in
Gran Canaria, long known as the "pier of shame" because of the
overcrowded and precarious conditions faced by thousands of migrants, primarily
from West Africa.
The Pope's itinerary thus weaves together political and
institutional centers, spiritual and charitable sites, and emblematic locations
along Europe's Atlantic border, reflecting a constant interplay between the
ecclesial and public dimensions of his mission.
A particularly significant moment will come immediately
after his first address to representatives of institutions, civil society, and
the diplomatic corps, when Pope Leo XIV visits the social project “Cedia 24
Horas”, a center in Madrid's Lucero district dedicated to welcoming and
accompanying vulnerable people and the homeless.
As Cardinal José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid, observed,
the Pope will enter the country through the world of vulnerability and human
peripheries.
The papal entourage
Traveling with the Pope will be Cardinal Ángel Fernández
Artime, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of Apostolic Life; Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Prefect of the
Dicastery for Bishops; and Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, the Papal
Almoner.
All the Pope’s speeches will be in Spanish, with the
exception of one address in French at the Las Raíces reception center, which
hosts migrants from French-speaking African countries.
Bruni also indicated that the Pope may speak a few words in
Catalan, responding to questions from journalists about an issue that has
generated considerable discussion in the Spanish media.
Another topic that has drawn attention is the issue of
abuse. The Church has been involved in various initiatives aimed at prevention
and reparative justice, including a protocol agreed upon last March by the
Bishops’ Conference, the Conference of Religious, the Spanish Ombudsman's
Office, and the Ministry of the Presidency to address this painful reality with
truth and justice.
At present, Bruni explained, no private meeting between the
Pope and abuse victims is scheduled.
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