The Pope has now moved onto Catalonia, but his time in Madrid was marked by messages of unity, empathy for migrants, and a call to respond to a broken world crying “from its depths for peace”.
It is the first time a pope has visited Spain since 2011, and data suggests there is something of a resurgence in Catholicism, with 28.8% of young people identifying as Catholics in 2025, compared with 17.6% in 2010.
“Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarisation seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated,” said Pope Leo in a speech at the royal palace. “I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarising narratives of your societal reality and history so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity.”
Interestingly, he pointed towards Spain as a country with a history of coexistence between religions, referencing how Christians, Muslims and Jews had lived together peacefully in times past and how they cooperated to advance scientific knowledge: “Your own history suggests that a culture of encounter, not confrontation, is what fosters stability and prosperity. In reality, the message of peace, which at present, unfortunately, strikes some as naive and others as confrontational, is welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies, but are rather open to the truth,” he said.
The Guardian reported that the Catholic church had suggested to the Pope that he might meet the Puerto Rican singer, Bad Bunny, who was also in Madrid at the time on a 10-date run of concerts. Leo joked that he faced an uphill battle for young people’s attention: “If they were confronted with the question, do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the Pope, I think many will go to see Bad Bunny,” he said, before adding: “But I think there will also be a few here to see the Pope!”
According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, more than a million turned out to see him!
Read the article in the Guardian here. Read the story (in Spanish) in El Mundo here.