Pope Leo XIV has launched his first official papal visit to Spain, opening the trip with public praise for the Spanish government’s commitment to peace, international law, and support for displaced migrants, against a backdrop of growing political and global tensions. In a formal welcome ceremony hosted at Madrid’s Royal Palace alongside King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, the Chicago-born pontiff highlighted Spain’s long-standing “active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples,” specifically commending the administration of socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for its “faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism.”
The endorsement comes as Sanchez has already engaged in high-profile public clashes with former U.S. President Donald Trump over policy toward Iran, and with the Israeli government over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Pope Leo, who has himself faced repeated harsh criticism from Trump for his outspoken anti-war stances, acknowledged that his unwavering message of peace faces pushback in today’s divided political climate. “At present unfortunately strikes some as naive and others as confrontational,” he told assembled guests, “but [it] should instead be welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies.”
Over the course of his seven-day tour, the pope will prioritize two of the most polarizing and pressing issues facing Spain and the global Catholic Church: addressing long-running clerical sexual abuse scandals within the Church, and advocating for more humane policies toward irregular migration. He is scheduled to hold private meetings with survivors of clergy abuse, engage with migrant advocacy organizations, and make history by becoming the first pope to deliver an address before the Spanish parliament. A large-scale prayer vigil expected to draw roughly 400,000 predominantly young attendees is also planned for Saturday near Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Even before arriving in Madrid, Pope Leon emphasized the urgency of addressing decades of unaccounted abuse, describing the ongoing crisis as “an open wound” that the Church cannot ignore. In a reflection of shifting attitudes toward the scandal, King Felipe publicly praised the pope’s approach to the issue Saturday, highlighting his “clarity and firmness” as “essential in the process of healing and reparation of the damage inflicted.”
The conversation around abuse accountability in Spain has gained new momentum in recent years. Earlier this year in March, Sanchez’s government and the Spanish Catholic Church finalized a landmark agreement to provide financial compensation to thousands of survivors, after years of widespread public outrage over religious leaders’ repeated failures to investigate and address claims of abuse. A 2023 inquiry conducted by Spain’s national ombudsman’s office estimated that roughly 1.1% of the Spanish population — equivalent to 440,000 people — have experienced sexual abuse at the hands of clergy or Church-affiliated individuals, a figure the Church has formally contested.
On migration, the pope’s visible focus during the visit is widely interpreted as a show of public support for Sanchez’s progressive government, which has carved out a policy stance sharply different from most other European nations. Immigration remains a deeply divisive political issue in Spain, but the current left-wing administration has pushed forward an ambitious plan to grant legal status to approximately 500,000 undocumented migrants currently residing in the country, allowing them to access formal employment and social integration. Later in the tour, the pope will join Sanchez in the Canary Islands to hold a memorial for the more than 9,000 migrants who have died attempting to cross the Atlantic to reach Europe, according to estimates from Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras. Data shows that nearly 47,000 irregular migrants arrived in the Canary Islands in 2024 alone.
In a moment of lighthearted levity amid the weighty policy and social agenda, Pope Leo responded to a reporter’s question on the flight to Madrid about whether he supports Spanish football giants Barcelona or Real Madrid. Displaying characteristic diplomatic skill, he first told reporters the pope supports all teams — then added with a nod to his roots, “But Prevost is for Real Madrid,” referencing his birth name, Robert Francis Prevost.