Pope Leo XIV visits Spain, drawing more than a million faithful in Madrid and warning against polarization

Speaking to representatives of the state, civil society and foreign diplomats in Madrid, Leo XIV said that "die Botschaft des Friedens in diesen Zeiten leider für manche naiv und für andere provokativ klingt" ("the message of peace unfortunately sounds naive to some and provocative to others in these times"). He thanked Spain for its "Treue zum Völkerrecht und zum Multilateralismus" ("fidelity to international law and multilateralism") and praised the Spanish government's commitment to peace.

On the flight to Madrid, the pope described the abuse scandals in the Catholic Church as a "weiterhin offene Wunde" ("still-open wound"). The remark framed the trip's pastoral tone and drew attention ahead of planned meetings with abuse survivors during his week in Spain.

Addressing politics and polarization

Security around the visit was extensive. According to the authorities, more than 14,000 police officers were deployed in Madrid alone to protect the pope, with all public appearances accompanied by strict security measures.

Addressing the king and senior figures in the Royal Palace in Madrid, the pope warned of the "Versuchung, durch das Schüren von Polarisierungen an Popularität zu gewinnen" ("temptation to gain popularity by stoking polarization") and urged Spaniards and Europeans to overcome internal conflicts rather than follow populist ideologies. He called on listeners to move "von fruchtlosen Vereinfachungen zu einer fruchtbaren Anerkennung ihrer Komplexität" ("from fruitless simplifications to a fruitful recognition of their complexity").

In a separate passage, Leo XIV told his audience that "die 'Flammen der Polarisierung' dürften nicht angeheizt werden" ("the flames of polarization must not be fanned"). He added: "Heute scheint die Versuchung, durch das Schüren von Polarisierung an Popularität zu gewinnen, eher gewachsen als abgenommen zu haben, und die Menschenwürde wird weiterhin verletzt" ("Today the temptation to gain popularity by stoking polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated").

A vision for Europe

The pope also framed the European project in moral terms. Spaniards should "den Prozess der europäischen Einigung vorantreiben - nicht im Gegensatz zu anderen Mächten, sondern als Geschenk für die ganze Menschheitsfamilie" ("advance the process of European unification — not in opposition to other powers, but as a gift to the whole human family"). He described this as "eine besondere Berufung für Europa" ("a special vocation for Europe").

Turning to history, the pope invoked the long presence of Islam on the Iberian Peninsula and the dialogue between Christians, Muslims and Jews. "Spaniens Geschichte lehrt, dass nicht die Kultur der Konfrontation, sondern die der Begegnung Stabilität und Wohlstand schafft" ("Spain's history teaches that it is not the culture of confrontation but that of encounter that creates stability and prosperity"), he said, arguing that Europe should "jenen identitären Ansätzen entfliehen, die alles zu erklären scheinen, aber die Welt mit Gespenstern und Feinden bevölkern" ("escape those identitarian approaches that seem to explain everything but populate the world with ghosts and enemies").

Without naming the Basque and Catalan conflicts directly, the pope called for "die Forderungen nach Autonomie und Einheit in Einklang zu bringen" ("to bring the demands for autonomy and unity into harmony"). He also warned that in the digital age "verschärfen sich Vorurteile, kritisches Denken wird geschwächt, und übermächtige Interessen säen tödliche Impulse" ("prejudices intensify, critical thinking is weakened, and overpowering interests sow deadly impulses").

Security, the pope argued, does not come from weapons and walls, but "dadurch, dass wir lernen, gemeinsam mit anderen voranzugehen, gemeinsam zu wachsen, Seite an Seite" ("by learning to move forward together with others, to grow together, side by side").

A million faithful in central Madrid

On Sunday morning, the faithful gathered at Cibeles Square — the location of Madrid's city hall — for a Mass combined with a Corpus Christi procession. The organizers reported that more than 1.2 million people attended, while Spanish authorities estimated the number at around 500,000 to 600,000, figures that the Deutsche Presse-Agentur carried in its reporting. The faithful filled the central plaza and the surrounding streets.

On the eve of the Mass, Pope Leo XIV was received by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The Spanish royal house has historically close ties with the Catholic Church, and the reception underscored the ceremonial weight of the papal visit. Sánchez's government has repeatedly called Israel's actions in Gaza a "Völkermord" ("genocide"), a stance the pope praised in Madrid for its "Klarheit und Entschlossenheit" ("clarity and determination").

Clash with Washington

The pope's vocal stance has drawn him into a public dispute with US President Donald Trump. In his Easter message, Leo XIV, who himself comes from the US city of Chicago, had said that Christians cannot stand alongside those who "heute Bomben abwerfen" ("drop bombs today"). Trump responded by calling the pontiff "weak" and "terrible on foreign policy" and accused him of siding with a country that "wants an atomic weapon." The pope's "Standhaftigkeit gegenüber Trump" ("steadfastness toward Trump") has, the dpa report noted, won him considerable sympathy in Spain.

On board the flight to Madrid, the pope was asked about the situation in Gaza. "Man muss wirklich darauf drängen, dass die Gewalt ein Ende findet" ("One must really insist that the violence comes to an end"), he told reporters, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. "Die Lage verschlechtert sich immer weiter. Es muss eine Lösung gefunden werden" ("The situation is getting worse and worse. A solution must be found").

A changing Spain

The week-long trip is also expected to include the blessing of the Jesus Tower of the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona on Wednesday, marking the 100th anniversary of a key stage in the church's long construction. A Spanish investigation commission has put the number of victims of the country's civil war and subsequent dictatorship at more than 200,000 since 1940, a figure the pope invoked when calling on Spaniards to serve a future of "Versöhnung und Frieden" ("reconciliation and peace").

Leo XIV will meet with abuse survivors during the visit, addressing what he called on the outbound flight a wound that remains open. The papal program also includes a youth gathering on the Plaza de Lima in Madrid in the evening, where the pope acknowledged he would be competing for attention with the US singer Bad Bunny, who is staging a run of concerts in the city. "Wenn man sie fragt, ob sie Bad Bunny oder den Papst sehen wollen, würden sich viele wohl für Bad Bunny entscheiden. Aber ich glaube, es werden auch einige hier sein, um den Papst zu sehen" ("If you ask them whether they want to see Bad Bunny or the pope, many would probably choose Bad Bunny. But I think some will be here to see the pope as well"), he said.

Spain remains a traditional bastion of Catholicism in Europe, but a survey cited in the reporting put the share of Spaniards identifying as Catholic at 53 percent — about 20 percentage points lower than 15 years ago — and only 16 percent described themselves as practicing Catholics. The pope, who last visited Spain in 2010 and returned for World Youth Day the following year, told reporters that many young people he meets sense "eine Leere und einen Mangel an Sinn" ("an emptiness and a lack of meaning") and that his visit could perhaps help "etwas zu wecken, was sie selbst noch nicht genau benennen können" ("to awaken something that they themselves cannot yet precisely name").