On his last full day in Madrid, Pope Leo XIV completes a busy schedule as he makes a historic visit to Spain’s Parliament, meets with victims of abuse, prays at the Cathedral of Almudena, and spends an evening with about 80,000 people from the Archdiocese of Madrid.
By Kielce Gussie – Madrid
On his final full day in Madrid, Pope Leo XIV made a historic visit to Spain’s Parliament at the Congress of Deputies and reflected on some of the relevant issues on the global stage today: human dignity, migration, defense of life, rearmament, family, AI, and peace.
To achieve a just society, the foundation must be the recognition of the inviolable dignity of every human being. In this light, the Pope turned to the “tragic drama of migration”, which he said challenges countries’ conscience and the ethical foundation of the world.
Pope Leo made a historic visit to the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies (@Vatican Media)
“The situation of migrants and refugees calls for a response that focuses on people, addresses the root causes that force them to leave, and goes beyond the mere management of migration flows,” he stressed.
Continuing he highlighted that every single war is, in the end, “a painful defeat” in the ability to negotiate. “Weapons may impose a temporary silence;” he said, “but they can never build a genuine and lasting peace.”
Pope Leo’s speech was met with more than seven minutes of applause.
Be at peace as a Church
Going straight from Parliament, the Pope travelled to meet with his fellow brothers—the Bishops of Spain. Even with the change of audience, his message remained clear and direct—calling the bishops to “safeguard unity, foster dialogue, heal divisions and accompany the journey of the people entrusted to your care.”
The Pope met with the Bishops of Spain at the headquarters of the Spanish Episcopal Conference in Madrid (@Vatican Media)
The Pope reminded those present that the “strength of the Church does not come from the greatness of her resources, but from the holiness of Her children, from the communion of Her pastors, and from the humble and persevering fidelity of those who allow themselves to be guided by the Spirit.”
Pope Leo explained the need for the Church to be at peace interiorly so as to be able to speak more freely to other other Christian denominations and other religions, to those who do not believe, to civil authorities, and to all people of good will who work for the common good.”
A private meeting
In between his public events, Pope Leo held a private audience with victims of abuse by members of the clergy in Spain. The Director of the Holy See Press Office reported the Pope met with six victims and the conversation lasted almost an hour.
The victims offered him “proposals aimed at making the Church’s response to such tragic cases more effective.” The director explained “the victims felt that the Pope had taken their suffering upon himself.”
Tear down walls
In the evening, the Pope spent some time in prayer and devotion at Madrid’s Cathedral of Our Lady of Almudena—who is the Patroness of the Archdiocese. Reflecting on the wall that collapsed and revealed the statue of the virgin, he highlighted that “to build something new, beautiful and lasting, we must be willing to tear down walls.”
The statue of Madrid’s Patroness was discovered in 1085 in a city wall (@Vatican Media)
Pope Leo urged everyone not to waiver in their witness of faith and invited them to look to the Virgin.
Be an open Bible
“I imagine that, for a football player, scoring a goal in this stadium is something that leaves a lasting mark on their life. But, today the Church in Madrid has scored a truly unforgettable goal!”
In the iconic Bernabéu football stadium, the Pope turned the attention from a worldly win to a deeper one. Speaking to the 80,000 people from the Diocesan community of Madrid, he praised them for building a “beautiful ecclesial family.”
In his speech, the Pope recognized the importance and beauty of song and music and challenged everyone to relearn the spiritual art of kindness, “without which even the proclamation of the Gospel risks becoming impersonal repetition, losing effectiveness, and leaving room for frustration and distrust.”
About 80,000 packed into the stadium to welcome the Pope (@Vatican Media)
He reminded everyone not to be afraid because, together as a diocesan Church, Madrid can “can offer the evangelical witness that unleashes the best forces of humanity, bombarded by images and words but hungry for justice and thirsty for truth.”
He closed by returning to the music of the Gospel, which when it reaches the heart makes people feel welcomed. “Be, for everyone, like an open Bible”, he closed, “love is the language that makes everyone feel at home.”
