Vatican Pope
Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
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Pope Leo XIV is urging Spaniards to stop “fanning the flames of polarization” as he arrived in Spain. Leo opened his weeklong trip in Madrid and was greeted at the airport by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Leo visited Spain dozens of times before as a priest. But this visit is the first by a pope in 15 years. It signals Leo is returning papal attention to Europe’s Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away. It’s a moment of political turmoil for the Socialist-led government and a credibility crisis for the Catholic Church.
What to know about Pope Leo's trip to Spain, from political scandal to Barcelona's architectural gem
Pope Leo XIV’s weeklong visit to Spain will bring him to a once-staunchly Catholic country that has long been in the throes of waning religious practice. Leo is expected to double down on his messages of unity amid polarization, peace as war rages, welcome for migrants and hope for young Spaniards in the era of artificial intelligence. Leo’s visit, which begins Saturday, is the first to Spain by a pope in 15 years. It has three distinct chapters, in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, each with its own focus.
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