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Pope Leo XIV Begins State Visit to Spain, Calls for Unity and Focuses on Migrants

A weeklong engagement to confront secularization, address clerical abuse, highlight migrants' plight and reach young people

Overview

  • Pope Leo XIV arrived in Madrid on June 6 and was greeted by King Felipe VI before leading a large youth prayer vigil that organizers estimated at roughly 400,000 to 600,000 participants.
  • He urged political leaders to end divisive rhetoric and presided over an open‑air Mass on June 7 that drew hundreds of thousands to central Madrid.
  • The Vatican confirmed the pope will meet survivors of clergy sexual abuse during the visit, a meeting that spotlights the long-running abuse crisis undermining the Spanish Church's credibility.
  • Key midweek events include the first papal address to both chambers of the Spanish Parliament and a June 10 blessing of the newly completed central spire of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia.
  • Leo will conclude the trip with June 11–12 visits to Las Palmas and Tenerife to meet migrants and humanitarian groups and to perform a sea wreath ceremony in memory of those who died on the Atlantic crossing, a move that puts Spain's migration policy under public scrutiny.