Pope Leo praises Spain’s commitment to peace and respect for law after Trump rift

MADRID — Pope Leo may not find it hard to connect with his hosts as he kicks off a weeklong visit to Spain this weekend.

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Like Leo, Spain’s socialist government has been vocally critical of the Iran war , risking the ire of the Trump administration by refusing to provide military support. And also like the Chicago-born pontiff, Spain has been outspoken in opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.

That may have been on Leo’s mind on Saturday during his address at Madrid’s Royal Palace, where, after being greeted by King Felipe VI , he expressed his gratitude for Spain’s faithful adherence to international law and active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples. Advocating for peace is important “in an age seemingly shaken by terrible imbalances and conflicts,” he said.

Another not-so-hidden advantage is that Leo, who got his start as a missionary in Peru, speaks fluent Spanish. He was expected to put that skill to use later on Saturday at a rally in front of young people in the city’s Plaza de Lima.

It was hoped that half a million young people would turn out for the event, though the pontiff acknowledged some surprising competition: Bad Bunny, who is also performing in the city.

While unlikely to compete with the typically bombastic spectacle of the “Tití Me Preguntó” rapper’s live performance, Leo joked that at least a few would opt to see him instead.

“If they are confronted with the question: do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the Pope, I think many will see Bad Bunny,” Leo told journalists on the plane. “But I think there will also be a few here to see the Pope. And that says something, you know.”

The rally marks a first test in a country where Catholicism, for centuries deeply ingrained in Spanish society, has dramatically dropped in recent decades.

Around 55% of Spaniards identify as Catholic today, according to demographic survey data, though fewer than 20% describe themselves as practicing Catholics.

The church has faced significant challenges in Spain, including the long shadow cast by clerical sex abuse. A 2023 survey by the Spanish Ombudsman’s office found that 1.13% of respondents suffered sexual abuse as minors in Catholic environments.

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During his visit, the pontiff will also meet with abuse victims. On the flight to Madrid on Saturday, Leo said: “Abuses are an open wound.”

While Catholic identity has waned significantly, there are some signs that young people are reversing that trend: the latest polls suggest that the number of people aged 15-29 who identify as Catholics has risen in the last few years.

“I am very pleased by the reports I am receiving about the rise in numbers of conversions,” the Pope told journalists on the flight from Rome. “Young people that are looking for something more, having grown up in many cases without that, if you will, spiritual dimension in their lives, they realize there’s an emptiness, and a lack of a sense of meaning,” he said.

The trip, which comes soon after an unusual visit to Africa in April that saw Leo trade public barbs with President Donald Trump, includes several highlights.

On Sunday, he will meet personalities from the world of sports, culture and the arts, including the Spanish actor and Hollywood star Antonio Banderas. Leo will become the first Pope in history to address the Spanish parliament in Madrid on Monday.

Later next week, he will travel onwards to Barcelona, where he will visit the famous Sagrada Familia and consecrate the newly finished Tower of Jesus Christ, as the world’s tallest church nears completion after 144 years of construction.

The pontiff will end his visit on the Canary Islands, the end point of what the United Nations has described as one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.

The Vatican said the Pope’s stopover in the Spanish archipelago will send a message to Europe on migration at a moment of heightened political tensions over irregular arrivals.