Overview
- Pope Leone XIV arrived in Madrid on Saturday and has opened a seven‑day apostolic visit that will include Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
- On Sunday the Pope led a mass and Corpus Christi procession in Plaza de Cibeles attended by local authorities who estimated about 1.2 million people.
- The Vatican confirmed the Pope will hold a private meeting with some victims of clerical sexual abuse during the visit, a response to a major domestic debate in Spain.
- Spanish security forces have reinforced protections for papal events after jihadist propaganda circulated threats targeting the Pope, and large deployments of police, drones and helicopters are in place.
- The programme next moves to Barcelona for the inauguration of the Torre di Gesù Cristo at the Sagrada Família and then to Gran Canaria and Tenerife to meet migrants and reception groups, a stop that highlights pressure on Atlantic migration routes and could sharpen debate over Spanish migration policy.