Pope Leo XIV arrived in Spain on Saturday to begin a week-long visit that will combine historic political milestones, major religious celebrations and a strong message on migration, as the first American pope seeks to reconnect Europe with its Christian roots while addressing some of the continent’s most pressing challenges.
Upon landing in Madrid, Leo was welcomed by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the start of the first papal visit to Spain in 15 years.
The trip comes at a significant moment for Spain, where the Catholic Church remains an influential institution but where religious practice has declined sharply over recent decades. It also takes place against the backdrop of a deeply polarised political climate, with Sánchez’s socialist-led government under pressure from corruption allegations and mounting opposition criticism. ALSO READ: Spanish PM denies any knowledge of suspected scheme targeting corruption probes.
The Vatican confirmed shortly before the visit that Leo will meet survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his stay, underscoring an issue that continues to cast a shadow over papal trips around the world as the Spanish Church grapples with decades of abuse and alleged cover-ups. ALSO READ: Spain signs landmark church-state deal to compensate victims of clergy abuse.
Leo’s visit is also being seen as a signal that he intends to devote renewed attention to Europe after Pope Francis largely focused on smaller Catholic communities outside the continent’s traditional centres of Christianity.
Alongside themes of peace, unity and human dignity, the pontiff is expected to address concerns ranging from migration and war to the rapid development of artificial intelligence, about which he recently issued a strong appeal for greater global oversight. ALSO READ: Spanish government approves draft law to crack down on AI deepfakes and image misuse.
Speaking before arriving in Spain, Leo jokingly acknowledged that he faces stiff competition for attention in Madrid this weekend from Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny, who is performing two concerts in the capital.
‘When confronted with the question ‘Do I go see Bad Bunny or do I go to see the pope?’ I think many will go to see Bad Bunny,’ Leo said. But he said he believed others would go to see him.
Organisers say public interest in the visit has exceeded expectations, with more than 500,000 people requesting places at papal events.
Recent polling reflects Spain’s profound social transformation. While around 90% of Spaniards identified as Catholic in the 1970s, that figure had fallen to 55% by 2025, according to state survey data. Only 19% of self-declared Catholics say they attend Mass regularly.
Madrid: historic parliament speech and youth gatherings
The Madrid leg of the visit (6-8 June) will include several of the most significant events of the tour.
Leo is scheduled to meet political leaders, members of the royal family and thousands of young Catholics. His first day concludes with a prayer vigil for young people, echoing scenes from the 2011 World Youth Day celebrations hosted in the Spanish capital during the papacy of Benedict XVI.
The largest gathering in Madrid is expected to be a Mass in Plaza de Cibeles.
A major milestone will come on Monday when Leo becomes the first pope ever to address both chambers of Spain’s Parliament.
Although Pope John Paul II visited Spain five times and Benedict XVI made three visits, no pontiff has previously delivered an address to the Spanish legislature.
Such speeches are rare and often rank among the defining moments of a papacy.
Leo will address lawmakers at a time of intense political division. Sánchez’s government has been battered by corruption controversies, while opposition parties including the right-wing People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox group have criticised the government’s migration policies and called for Sánchez to step down before the next general election. ALSO READ: Andalusia leaves Sánchez politically weakened as Spain edges further towards a PP-Vox era.
The papal visit has transformed the Spanish capital, with Leo’s image appearing on billboards, metro stations and public transport, while shops and bakeries have embraced the occasion with commemorative souvenirs and special products.
Not everyone has welcomed the trip, however. Some protests are expected over the estimated 15 million euro cost of the visit.
Barcelona and Montserrat: Gaudí, Sagrada Familia and Catalan spirituality
After Madrid, Leo will travel to Catalonia (9-10 June), where he will participate in events marking the centenary of the death of celebrated architect Antoni Gaudí.
The centrepiece of the Barcelona programme will be a Mass at the Sagrada Familia basilica, Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece and one of Spain’s most recognisable landmarks. ALSO READ: Gaudí centenary and migration crisis to shape Pope Leo XIV’s Spain visit in June.
During the ceremony, Leo will formally inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ, the basilica’s soaring central spire, which recently made the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world. ALSO READ: Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia becomes world’s tallest church as central tower is crowned.
While Gaudí remains on the path toward possible sainthood, Vatican officials have indicated that no announcements regarding his canonisation are expected during the visit. ALSO READ: Vatican puts ‘God’s architect’, the Catalan Antoni Gaudí, on path to sainthood.
Leo will also visit the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, one of Catalonia’s most important spiritual sites, where he will meet monks living at the centuries-old abbey nestled among the dramatic mountain peaks northwest of Barcelona.
Canary Islands: Migration Message at Europe’s Atlantic Frontier
The final stage of Leo’s journey will take him to the Canary Islands (11-12 June), where migration is expected to dominate the agenda. ALSO READ: Spain stands alone as EU backs tougher deportation rules and overseas return centres.
The pope will visit Tenerife and Gran Canaria, meeting migrants who crossed the Atlantic from Africa as well as charities and humanitarian groups that support them.
Church leaders in the archipelago have described the visit as a powerful gesture of solidarity.
The trip will show that the pope stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with migrants, said Caya Suárez Ortega, director of Caritas Canarias.
‘The first thing the migrants said to me when they were invited (to the papal meetings) … was their enormous gratitude that he would stand alongside them,’ she told Spanish media.
Leo is expected to throw a wreath into the Atlantic in memory of those who died attempting the crossing. More than 3,000 people died on the route to the Canary Islands in 2025, according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras. ALSO READ: Over 3,000 migrants died trying to reach Spain in 2025.
The pontiff is also expected to visit the port in Las Palmas that became known as the ‘Dock of Shame’ after thousands of migrants were forced to sleep outdoors during a surge in arrivals in 2020.
The visit continues a strong emphasis on migration that characterised the papacy of Francis and has remained central to Leo’s own public message. The pope previously angered US President Donald Trump by criticising anti-immigration policies and has repeatedly called for migrants to be treated with dignity.
Spain’s government has also pursued a more open approach to immigration than many European countries, announcing plans that could allow hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants to regularise their status. Sánchez has argued that legal migration is vital for an economy facing an ageing population and low birth rate. ALSO READ: PM Sánchez defends Spain’s immigration model, urging Europe to take note.
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Su Santidad el Papa León XIV ha sido recibido por los Reyes a su llegada al aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, donde ha dado comienzo su Visita a España.
➡️https://t.co/6k3JzwbwyF pic.twitter.com/cxIKJhtoE3
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) June 6, 2026
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