标签： Oceania

Pope Leo XIV launched a landmark seven-day state visit to Spain on Saturday, opening his trip with a urgent call to reject deepening societal division in a country already roiled by fierce political debate over immigration policy. The U.S.-born pontiff, who has drawn repeated public criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump over his outspoken anti-war stances, delivered his opening address from Madrid’s Royal Palace, where he was formally welcomed by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. In his remarks, he pushed back against what he called “polarising narratives” and “sterile simplifications” that have split public opinion, framing peace as a core message that should resonate across ideological divides.

“At present unfortunately [the message of peace] strikes some as naive and others as confrontational,” Leo told the gathered crowd of political, royal and religious leaders, “but should instead be welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies.” The pontiff also extended public praise to Spain’s left-wing government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, commending the country for its “faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism” and its “active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples.” Sánchez has made clear international stances that have put him at odds with global leaders: he has clashed repeatedly with Trump over policy toward Iran and with the Israeli government over the ongoing war in Gaza. Notably, even Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right anti-immigration party Vox, joined attendees in standing and applauding the pope’s speech. Vox, which is Spain’s third-largest political force, has led fierce opposition to Sánchez’s relatively liberal immigration approach, a policy that also puts the Spanish government at odds with many of its fellow European Union allies.

Beyond the central focus on immigration, the visit will tackle two other defining and sensitive issues for the Catholic Church in Spain: addressing decades of clerical sexual abuse and re-engaging a growing cohort of young people who have drifted away from organized religion. Speaking to reporters aboard his plane ahead of landing, Leo described clerical abuse as an “open wound” for the Church, echoing ongoing efforts to confront the long history of abuse that has been hidden by Church hierarchy for decades. A 2023 official report from Spain’s national ombudsman estimates that roughly 200,000 minors have suffered abuse at the hands of Church representatives since 1940. In March of this year, Sánchez’s government and the Spanish Catholic Church reached a landmark agreement to compensate surviving victims, ending years of institutional opacity and resistance from Church leadership. King Felipe VI praised the pope’s “clarity and firmness” on the abuse issue, noting that these qualities are “essential in the process of healing and reparation of the damage inflicted.”

On Saturday evening, Leo is set to lead a large prayer vigil near Real Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, where organizers expect roughly 400,000 attendees, the vast majority of whom are young people. The pontiff said he was encouraged by growing signs of renewed interest in the Catholic Church among younger generations, noting that many young people are “realise there’s an emptiness, and a lack of a sense of meaning, and perhaps my visiting is helping to awaken even further something.” His visit coincidentally overlaps with a run of concerts in Madrid by global pop star Bad Bunny, a scheduling overlap that has led some cultural commentators to frame the moment as a choice between secular pop culture and spiritual faith for young attendees. Leo pushed back against this framing with characteristic good humor, saying “I think many will see Bad Bunny. But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something.”

On Sunday, more than one million people are expected to gather in central Madrid for a public mass led by the pontiff. After the Madrid events, Leo will travel to Barcelona to bless the newly completed tower of the Sagrada Família Basilica, which will become the tallest church in the world upon completion. The visit will conclude with a stop in the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa that has become the primary entry point for irregular migrants arriving in Europe from Africa, after dangerous multi-week crossings. Leo and Sánchez will jointly honor the thousands of migrants who have died attempting to reach European shores. UN data from the International Organization for Migration shows that 1,172 migrants died or went missing along the Canary Islands route in 2025, a number only marginally lower than the 1,215 deaths recorded in 2024.

Spanish security forces have deployed more than 15,000 personnel from the national police and Guardia Civil, alongside local law enforcement, to manage events and ensure security during the high-profile visit. The trip marks a shift from the papacy of Leo’s predecessor, Francis, who largely avoided visits to Europe’s traditional strongholds of Catholicism — including Spain, where rates of regular religious observance have plummeted in recent decades. The visit will also make history when Leo becomes the first pope to address the Spanish parliament, an unprecedented step that underscores the historic nature of his trip.

Bernadette Chirac, the steadfast widow of former French President Jacques Chirac and a respected public figure in her own right, has passed away at the age of 93. The news was confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Saturday by the couple’s daughter, Claude Chirac.

According to Claude Chirac, Bernadette died peacefully on Friday evening, surrounded by her close family. Just one week before her death, she had celebrated her 93rd birthday on May 18.

For much of her public life, Bernadette Chirac was widely viewed as operating in the shadow of her charismatic husband, who led France from 1995 to 2007 and earned global recognition for his bold opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Jacques Chirac passed away in 2019, and throughout their decades-long marriage, Bernadette remained unwaveringly by his side even amid well-documented public revelations of his infidelities — a topic both addressed openly in their respective autobiographical memoirs.

Beyond her role as first lady, Bernadette Chirac carved out an independent political legacy that sets her apart from all other women who have held the position of France’s first lady. From 1979 to 2015, she served continuously as a general councillor for the central French department of Correze, making her the only first spouse in modern French history to hold elected public office in her own name.

Her signature quiet demeanor and consistently polished public image also turned her into a beloved cultural icon in France. In 2023, one of the country’s most celebrated screen stars, Catherine Deneuve, portrayed her in a feature film chronicling her years in the Elysee Palace, titled simply *Bernadette*.

Current French President Emmanuel Macron quickly issued a public tribute following news of Bernadette’s death, praising her as a “great woman of heart” who left an indelible mark on French history. In a post on X, Macron highlighted that Bernadette changed countless lives through her quiet, determined service, both as an elected representative for the people of Correze and through her decades-long leadership of a French hospital foundation, where her consistent commitment improved outcomes for millions of ordinary patients across the country.

Bernadette Chirac, the woman who stood beside former French President Jacques Chirac throughout his decades-long political career and earned a reputation as a quietly formidable public figure in her own right, has passed away at the age of 93. Over 12 years as France’s first lady, she balanced unwavering public support for her husband with a discreet but persistent independent political and philanthropic footprint that endeared her to much of the French public.

Born into the aristocratic Chodron de Courcel family in May 1933, Bernadette met Jacques Chirac in 1954 while both were studying at Paris’ elite Sciences Po university. They married two years later, a union that many at the time viewed as socially below Bernadette’s standing. From the early days of her husband’s career, which would see him serve as Paris mayor, prime minister, and finally president, she embraced the role of supporting his political ascent. A devout traditional Roman Catholic, known for her immaculate classic tailored suits and polished styling, she dedicated much of her early public life to advancing her husband’s ambitions. In Jacques Chirac’s 2012 memoirs, he called her “the woman of my life”, noting that “we have accomplished so much together”.

The marriage was not without its well-documented challenges. Jacques Chirac was open about his long-standing reputation as a man popular with women, and public rumors of extramarital affairs circulated for decades. In her 2001 autobiography *Conversation*, Bernadette spoke with unusual candor about navigating these strains on their relationship, while also outlining her conservative Catholic views, including her opposition to abortion. She acknowledged that she considered ending the marriage, but chose to stay for their two daughters and out of commitment to traditional family values, noting, “Nowadays at the first difficulty people just give up. But as far as I was concerned, I hesitated because I had children, and also because I was the prisoner of certain family traditions. Convention had it that in this sort of situation you put up a front and just kept going. In any case I warned him often enough: the day Napoleon left Josephine, he lost everything.”

Jacques Chirac won two consecutive presidential terms in 1995 and 2002, holding office for 12 years to become France’s second longest-serving head of state, after Socialist predecessor François Mitterrand. In public self-description, Bernadette framed herself as a humble “wagon” pulled by her husband’s dynamic “engine”, while Jacques Chirac affectionately nicknamed his strong-willed, occasionally authoritarian wife “a turtle”.

Beyond her role as first lady, Bernadette built her own quiet legacy: she served for decades as an elected local councillor in Corrèze, the rural department that was the Chirac family’s home, and also held a seat on the municipal council of the small village of Sarran. She also served as patron for multiple charities, most notably her well-regarded work supporting children with severe illnesses, which boosted her public standing. Her conservative values won the trust of right-wing voters, and her warm demeanor made her a key electoral asset for her husband during campaign seasons. Her reputation for discretion and polished public image turned her into a beloved cultural icon, with a 2023 French biopic titled *Bernadette*, starring screen legend Catherine Deneuve, chronicling her years in the Elysee Palace.

Several memorable public moments cemented her place in modern French political memory: in 1998, she hosted then-first lady Hillary Clinton on a tour of Corrèze, prompting French newspaper Le Monde to quip “Bernadette Chirac exists. Hillary Clinton has met her” in a nod to her low public profile. A year later, onlookers were stunned when visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin pulled her into an impromptu waltz during his trip to the rural department.

In her later years, Bernadette faced repeated personal hardship. As Jacques Chirac’s health declined due to a degenerative neurological disorder that left him wheelchair-bound, she closely protected his privacy and shielded details of his condition from public view. After he died in 2019 at the age of 86, the already frail Bernadette only attended his private funeral service, skipping the large public ceremony attended by dozens of global leaders. In 2016, the couple’s eldest daughter Laurence died at the age of 58 from a heart attack, after decades of living with anorexia.