From institutions to the peripheries: Pope Leo's pilgrimage to Spain

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.