On board the flight to Madrid, Pope Leo XIV greets journalists accompanying him on his Apostolic Journey, reiterating the need for dialogue in Ukraine, expressing closeness to Lebanon, and reflecting on abuse and the tragedy of war.
By Silvina Perez – Aboard flight to Madrid
“Muy buenos días a todos!”
With these words, Pope Leo XIV greeted the more than eighty journalists accompanying him on his Apostolic Journey to Spain on the morning of 6 June.
The papal flight departed from Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport shortly after 8:00 am, bound for Madrid, the first stop of a visit that will see the Pope meet ecclesial communities, civil authorities, and the faithful throughout the Iberian nation.
As is customary during international journeys, the Pope made his way to the rear of the aircraft shortly before landing to personally greet members of the media. The brief and cordial encounter was marked by handshakes, smiles, and several questions on current international affairs.
Alongside more serious topics, there was also a lighter moment when the Pope was asked, upon arriving in Spain, whether he supported Real Madrid or Barcelona. Smiling, Leo XIV replied, “That’s easy: the Pope is for all teams, but Robert Prevost is for Real Madrid!” prompting laughter among those present.
Pope Leo greets journalists aboard the papal plane (@Vatican Media)
Church has a message for everyone
“This journey is the first visit by a Pope to Spain in a long time, and personally, I am very happy about it,” Pope Leo told journalists in his greeting.
“It is an Apostolic Visit, intended to meet the faithful,” he explained, “to celebrate the faith and proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, but at the same time to greet everyone, the whole of society, because the Church has a message for everyone, as I believe was made very clear in the Encyclical Letter published on 25 May.”
Young people, messengers of God’s love
The Pope said he is aware of the enthusiasm awaiting him, especially among young people.
“It seems there will be a great number of young people present with their enthusiasm,” he noted. “By sharing together the joy of faith, I believe we will be able to offer a very beautiful message.”
That message, he added, is one to be carried to Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands: “a message that helps us live the faith and proclaim God’s love, charity, and respect for every human being.”
International affairs
Among the issues raised was the conflict in Ukraine, for which Pope Leo XIV once again stressed the need to persevere resolutely along the path of dialogue and peace.
He also addressed the issue of abuse, a wound that remains open within the Church. On Friday evening, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni confirmed that the local Church had arranged a meeting between the Pope and several survivors of abuse committed by members of the clergy in Spain.
The Pope also turned his thoughts to Lebanon, reaffirming the Holy See’s close attention to the situation in the country and its ongoing contact with religious authorities there.
Asked whether there is a “just war” in Iran, he replied: “I believe this has already been made very clear: in Iran, the criteria for a just war are not present. The theory of the just war dates back to centuries when it was impossible to imagine the weapons and the destructive capacity available to humanity today.”
A gift from cloistered communities
As the aircraft crossed the Mediterranean, the journey was accompanied by another sign, less visible but no less meaningful.
Several Spanish cloistered monasteries have chosen to support the Apostolic Journey spiritually by praying a Rosary for each journalist travelling aboard the papal flight.
And every member of the media received, as a gift, one of the hand-crafted rosaries made by the cloistered nuns and monks who have entrusted to prayer the work of those who will narrate these days through articles, television reports, photographs and radio broadcasts.
A simple gesture that symbolically unites the work of communication with the hidden life of prayer—two realities that, each in its own way, often accompany the journeys of the Successor of Peter.
The Pope was also presented with a drawing created by young patients of Rome’s Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital.
Meanwhile, church bells rang throughout dioceses across Spain to mark the arrival of the Pontiff.
