Pope Leo XIV upholds solidarity and personal encounter during a visit to the CEDIA 24 Horas social project in Madrid, on the first leg of his week-long apostolic journey that will also take him to Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
By Linda Bordoni
On the first day of his Apostolic Journey to Spain on Saturday, 6 June 2026, Pope Leo XIV spent time with staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of a Caritas-run centre that assists people experiencing homelessness and other situations of vulnerability.
The CEDIA 24 Horas social project in Madrid’s Lucero district is open 24 hours a day for those in need of a place to sleep, of social guidance, psychological support and basic services.
Arriving at the centre after having spent time with a group of some 40 people affected by disability and illness, the Pope was welcomed by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo Cano and by the director of CEDIA, who showed him around the premises and introduced him to the staff. After listening to their words of welcome, the Pope listened to the testimonies of Niurka, a woman from Cuba, of Khadri, a man from Senegal, who found support and a future at CEDIA and of Alicia, a volunteer representing the many people who sustain the Church’s social outreach. Each of them presented him with a symbolic gift.
Expressing his joy at beginning his visit in Madrid, Pope Leo referred to a remark made by Cardinal Cobo, saying: “Anyone who is in Madrid is from Madrid.”
“And so I, too, am here among you as another Madrilenian,” he said, thanking the city for a welcome that made him feel part of “a large and wonderful family.”
Pope Leo XIV at the CEDIA 24 Horas centre in Madrid (@Vatican Media)
A place where no one remains alone
Reflecting on the work of the centre, the Pope described it as a place where solidarity is lived concretely.“ In this home, no one remains alone,” he said. “Here, each person’s joy and sorrow are the joy and sorrow of all.”
He noted that the work carried out at CEDIA follows the example of Christ, who identified Himself with those who suffer and who taught that whatever is done for “the least of these” is done for Him.
The Pope also referred to the song performed during the encounter, saying that its words — “In every dream I sought you, and none was in vain” — summed up both the testimonies he had heard and the daily work carried out at the centre.
Pope Leo XIV at the CEDIA 24 Horas centre in Madrid (@Vatican Media)
Stories of hope
Pope Leo reflected on the stories shared by Niurka, Khadry and Alicia.
He said that, thanks to “a dream and a small open door — small in size but immense in mercy,” Niurka had been able to offer her children “life, her motherly love, the grace of Baptism and the promise of a happy future.”
He also recalled Khadry’s journey through “the dark tunnel of the pandemic and a journey full of uncertainties,” noting that with the support of others, he had found work and regained hope.
Speaking of Alicia and the volunteers of the Hope Project, the Pope highlighted their efforts to help women begin anew and recover dignity, independence and hope.
The gifts presented to him during the encounter also carried a message, he said. The ribbon bearing children’s names expressed the joy of every birth, while the residence permit spoke of commitment, honesty and welcome. The sandal, recalling Moses’ encounter with God at Horeb, evoked “the ‘sacred ground’ that we are bound to respect in every human life.”
Pope Leo XIV at the CEDIA 24 Horas centre in Madrid (@Vatican Media)
A welcoming “nativity scene”
The Pope noted that Madrid is well known for the nativity scenes displayed throughout the city during the Christmas season.
He said that the lights, voices and sounds associated with Christmas are present throughout the year in places where people encounter one another in charity.
Referring to the centre itself, he described it as a “simple and welcoming ‘nativity scene’” that is prepared “day by day — or literally day and night — for Jesus, present in the people who come to the Centre’s doorstep in search of help.”
Charity permits no delay
The theme chosen for the Apostolic Journey is drawn from Jesus’ words: “Look around you,” and the Pope explained that these words invite Christians to contemplate the fields ready for harvest and remind them that “charity permits no delay.”
“If the wheat is not harvested when it is ripe, the harvest is lost,” he said, adding that every encounter with a person in need is a unique opportunity to love and serve.
The Pope also warned against attitudes that minimise the importance of charitable service in the life of the Church.
“The poor cannot be neglected if we are to remain within the great current of the Church’s life that has its source in the Gospel and bears fruit in every time and place,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV at the CEDIA 24 Horas centre in Madrid (@Vatican Media)
Looking people in the eye
In the final part of his address, Pope Leo reflected on the importance of personal encounter. Recalling the teaching of the late Pope Francis, he asked whether people truly look into the eyes of those they help and recognise their dignity.
“Alms are not the same as philanthropy,” he said, quoting his predecessor, and he recalled Pope Francis’ teaching that those who truly love “do more than give alms: they listen, they engage, they try to understand and deal with difficult situations and their causes.”
Entrusted to Mary
Concluding his address, Pope Leo entrusted the staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of the centre to the Virgin Mary.
Praying that her maternal spirit might continue to inspire their work, he invoked her with the words: “Teach us to see you always as Mother, fountain of mercy, bosom of forgiveness, embrace of hope, gate of Glory.”
