Pope Leo XIV made a historic visit to Spain, marking the first papal visit to the country since Pope Benedict in 2011. The trip drew an estimated 1.5 million people for mass on Sunday and thrust Spain into the global spotlight.
During a landmark address to the Spanish parliament, the pontiff warned that the world is undergoing a deep spiritual and cultural crisis. In his wide-ranging speech, he touched upon several pressing issues, including conflict, artificial intelligence, the climate emergency, and the subjects of abortion and euthanasia.
A central focus of the address was what the Pope termed the tragic drama of migration. He urged the international community to tackle the causes and consequences of migration and called for a newfound respect for international law and the rights of migrants. These remarks underscore the pontiff’s alignment with the progressive migration policies of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The address was met with a lengthy standing ovation from lawmakers. This event signals a new level of acceptance of the Catholic Church in the public sphere of largely secular Spain.