Pope Leo XIV begins a multi-day visit to Spain, where he will meet with believers, politicians, celebrate Mass in the almost completely completed Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona and visit migrant accommodation centers. The visit has attracted a lot of attention from international media, which has noted the important political implications of the pontiff’s trip.
El Pais (Madrid, Spain)
Pope Leo XIV’s strong anti-Trump stance enjoys the support of most Spaniards
Pope Leo XIV’s firm stance towards US President Donald Trump, which has made the pontiff an antagonist of this leading figure in the global authoritarian far-right camp, resonates with the majority of Spanish society. Nearly 70% support his opposition to war as a solution to conflicts, which he has demonstrated in response to US and Israeli actions in Iran… 57.1% support his open criticism of Trump’s mass deportations… Pope Leo XIV has become… a bastion of resistance to Trump.
During his visit to Spain, Leo XIV will encounter a country that is no longer as Catholic as is commonly believed
He will come to a country where church, state and society are still figuring out their relationship with each other… When Pope Leo XIV arrives in Spain, he will undoubtedly receive a warm welcome. More than half a million people have already registered for open-air masses in Madrid and Barcelona. The Spanish capital decorated the streets with hundreds of thousands of yellow and white flowers… Such a reception would be expected in a deeply Catholic country. However, Spain is no longer as Catholic as is commonly believed. Only one in five people in the country calls themselves a practicing Catholic.
This is surprising. Just 50 years ago, the Catholic Church was the defining force in the country. Under dictator Francisco Franco, the Catholic Church monitored morals and manners. (As some experts note.— “Kommersant”), the ongoing debate about the influence of conservative Catholic organizations in politics is one of the peculiarities of Spain.
The Guardian (London, UK)
Divine intervention: why the visit of Pope Leo is a real gift from heaven for Pedro Sanchez
The pontiff’s determination to highlight the plight of migrants has brought him closer to the Spanish prime minister, whose inner circle and party are mired in corruption scandals. Although Pope Leo XIV arrives in Madrid only on Saturday, his presence in the Spanish capital is already almost ubiquitous. The smiling, good-natured face of America’s first pontiff stares out from posters, the sides of buses, commemorative bus passes and even digital subway screens.
He will see a country much more politically polarized than 15 years ago… Housing problems, immigration, public services and a seemingly endless string of allegations of political corruption have created a febrile (some would say wild) political mood.
Catholics hope Pope Leo XIV’s visit to European migration centers will ease political tensions
Pope Leo XIV will take up the hotly debated issue of migration when he visits the Canary Islands next week and Lampedusa in early July. These craggy, remote corners of Europe are facing the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants, mostly from Africa, along some of the world’s most dangerous migration routes. Even though their numbers have fallen this year, especially in the Canary Islands, the problem continues to haunt policymakers in these Catholic countries (Spain and Italy.— “Kommersant”).
Protecting the rights of migrants around the world has been a priority for Pope Francis. In 2013 he visited Lampedusa on his first pastoral visit outside Rome, and three years later he brought with him about a dozen Syrian refugees to the Greek island of Lesbos. Under Pope Leo, the Catholic Church continues to call for the humane treatment of migrants around the world, including condemning mass deportations in his home country of the United States.
