The pope is in secularized, polarized Spain, where the Catholic Church has a complex legacy[html]
Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia upon his arrival at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, marking the start of his seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2026-06-06T04:17:36Z
MADRID (AP) — Pope Leo XIV’s data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-spain-sagrada-familia-migration-9b52641c1f3c8966171f0e41f747bdc7">trip to Spain will bring the American pontiff to a traditional center of European Christianity, where the Catholic Church has a complex legacy and the Socialist-led government is in the midst of a political crisis.
Leo’s weeklong visit begins Saturday in Madrid, where upon landing he was greeted by the country’s Catholic monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. His first day ends with a prayer vigil with young people, many of whom will be witnessing their first pope on Spanish soil.
In a sign that the clergy sexual abuse crisis continues to overshadow papal trips, the Vatican confirmed late Friday that Leo would meet with survivors during his visit. The Spanish Catholic hierarchy is data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/catholic-church-spain-sexual-abuse-vatican-pope-leo-e4ddb452b0c96119c8ae1eae75172446">belatedly reckoning with decades of abuse and cover-up in the once-staunchly Catholic country.
The visit, the first by a pope in 15 years, signals Leo is returning papal attention to Europe and its Christian roots. Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of European Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away.
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Pope Leo XIV arrives at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the start of a seven-day pastoral visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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Pope Leo XIV arrives at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the start of a seven-day pastoral visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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But with the Spain trip — and a day trip to Monaco in March, a quick stop in San Marino in August and a four-day visit to France planned for September — Leo is seemingly keen to bring his message of peace, unity and human dignity to a continent in the throes of Russia’s data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war in Ukraine, the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">war in Iran and anxiety over data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-ai-tech-trump-vatican-anthropic-d92d0108730d146baa46da041b8523da">artificial intelligence.
Leo acknowledged Saturday as he headed to Spain that he’s competing with another VIP in Madrid this weekend.
Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny is performing two shows of his 10-concert Spanish tour this weekend in the Spanish capital.
“When confronted with the question ‘Do I go see Bad Bunny or do I go to see the pope?’ I think many will go to see Bad Bunny,” Leo said. But he said he believed others would go to see him.
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Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia upon his arrival at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, marking the start of his seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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June 10, 2026, 07:43:44 PM