POPE LEO XIV will travel to Spain from June 6 to June 12, visiting Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, this was confirmed by the Vatican this week.
You will be able to see the Pope speak in Spain’s Congress and Senate for the first time ever, placing his message directly at the centre of national and European debate.
It comes at a time of political tension over immigration, with the Catholic Church in Spain openly defending migrant rights and warning against extremism and division.
The trip has been put in place to focus heavily on social justice, with several visits planned to homeless shelters, prisons and migrant reception centres to underline the Church’s call to support the most vulnerable.
The reason for these stops is seen as a deliberate message, especially as migration continues to dominate political discussion across Spain and the wider EU.
There is still no official confirmation of a meeting with victims of clerical pedophilia abuse, although similar meetings have taken place privately during past trips.
The Pope’s journey begins on June 6 in the capital, Madrid, where he will be welcomed by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia before attending an official reception.
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© David Cruz Sanz/PsnewZ via ZUMA Press
Later that day, he will visit a Caritas centre that supports homeless people, highlighting rising concerns over poverty and housing.
He will also lead a youth prayer event in Plaza de Lima, aimed at engaging younger generations at a time when church attendance is falling.
On June 7, he will hold a large Corpus Christi mass in Plaza de Cibeles and attend a public event bringing together figures from culture, business and sport to promote dialogue across different sectors of society.
On June 8, the Pope will meet Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez before giving his historic speech at the Congress of Deputies in a joint session with the Senate, where he is expected to speak about unity, migration and the common good.
He will also attend further events in the capital, including a large gathering at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
On June 9, he will travel to Barcelona, where he will pray at the cathedral and lead a large evening vigil at the Olympic Stadium.
The next day, he will visit Brians 1 prison to meet inmates, in a gesture often used by popes to call for dignity, rehabilitation and better conditions within prison systems.
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He will then travel to Montserrat before meeting charity groups working with poor and marginalised communities in the city.
That evening, he will hold a mass at the Sagrada Familia and officially open the new Tower of Jesus Christ, marking a major milestone for the iconic basilica.
On June 11, the Pope will fly to Gran Canaria, becoming the first Pope to visit the Canary Islands, where migration is a major humanitarian issue.
He will visit the Port of Arguineguin, one of the main arrival points for migrants crossing from Africa, to see firsthand the challenges faced on the ground.
He will later hold a mass at Gran Canaria Stadium before travelling to Tenerife the following day.
On June 12, he will meet migrants at a reception centre and organisations helping them integrate, reinforcing his message of support for those arriving in Spain.
The visit will end with a final mass before he returns to his home in Rome later that afternoon.
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