Photo ©: Vatican Media

(ANS – Madrid) – With his arrival in Madrid on June 6, 2026, Pope Leo XIV began his fourth international apostolic journey, a visit that will take him across various regions of Spain under the motto “Alzad la mirada” (“Lift up your gaze”). The first two days included meetings with national institutions, encounters with social organizations, and events dedicated to young people and the world of culture. The Corpus Christi procession led by the Pope through the streets of the Spanish capital made a strong impression, offering a renewed reflection on the meaning of Christian faith and spirituality.

On the morning of Saturday, June 6, the Holy Father departed from Rome for Madrid. Upon arrival at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, he was welcomed by civil and religious authorities before proceeding to the Royal Palace.

There, the official welcoming ceremony took place, followed by a courtesy visit with the Spanish monarchs, King Felipe VI y Queen Letizia. Pope Leo XIV then met with government authorities, representatives of civil society, and members of the diplomatic corps. In his address, he expressed gratitude for the invitation and reflected on Spain’s deep Christian roots. He described the nation as a land that “for almost two millennia has received the Word of the Gospel,” emphasizing that its spiritual and cultural heritage remains a vital resource for addressing today’s challenges.

He explained the deeper meaning of his journey, which carries both religious and civic significance: “I come among you to confirm, encourage, and inspire a renewed fidelity of believers to the Gospel and a deeper reconciliation and cooperation among the diverse communities of this nation.”

During his address, he also highlighted the importance of human dignity, solidarity, and the pursuit of the common good, stressing the need to strengthen social bonds in a time marked by tension and polarization. He called for a culture of encounter capable of fostering dialogue and collaboration across all sectors of society. “On closer inspection, the message of peace, which in these times unfortunately strikes some as naïve and others as provocative, finds a welcome among those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies but are open to the truth,” the Holy Father observed.

In the afternoon, the visit took on a more pastoral and social dimension. Pope Leo XIV visited the “Cedia 24 Horas” project, a hospitality and solidarity center that welcomes vulnerable and homeless people. After listening to testimonies from guests and volunteers, the Pope encouraged Christians not to allow themselves to be “infected by attitudes marked by worldly ideologies or political and economic orientations that lead to unjust generalizations and misleading conclusions,” recalling that service to one’s neighbor is not “the obsession of a few,” but “the burning heart of the Church’s mission.”

The first day concluded with a large prayer vigil with young people in Plaza de Lima, attended by approximately 600,000 participants. During the vigil, the Pope responded to questions from young people, recalling his years as a missionary in Peru, where he witnessed a faith “marked by many difficulties but full of hope.”

He encouraged the youth to look to the future with hope, to live their faith as a concrete encounter with Christ and with others, to be “human,” “trustworthy faces” rather than mere “appearances” to their peers, and to find joy in life without waiting for wealth, pleasure, or power.

“Jesus’ disciples are always of their time, but never prisoners of the passing of time,” he said. “In Christ we are free! (…) We are free from fads, because we are disciples of the truth; we are open to the future, because we know that death does not await us.”

The second day of the visit, June 7, included further significant moments of encounter and reflection. The central event was the solemn Eucharistic celebration in Plaza de Cibeles, attended by approximately 1.2 million faithful, followed by the Eucharistic procession with the Blessed Sacrament.

“This awareness of the Lord’s presence in the Eucharistic Bread is deeply rooted in the faith and history of your people. Here in Madrid, as in many other parts of Spain, Corpus Christi is more than just another celebration on the liturgical calendar. It is a way of returning to the heart of the faith to renew our love and fidelity to God,” Pope Leo XIV said in his homily.

He went beyond devotional expression, however, emphasizing that the religiosity that has shaped Spain for centuries is not a museum piece of the past but a living school of faith: “A school that teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbor, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother; a school from which we learn that God is a real presence and that we too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not withdrawing but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good.”

In the afternoon, the Pope participated in a meeting titled “Weaving Networks With the Worlds of Culture, Art, Economics, and Sport,” held at the Movistar Arena and attended by around 15,000 people from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Key themes included dialogue between the Church and contemporary society, and the dignity of the human person amid the profound transformations brought by new technologies and artificial intelligence.

In his address, the Holy Father emphasized the importance of building relationships and cooperation among fields often seen as separate. Culture, creativity, economic activity, and sport, he noted, are spaces where human dignity, social responsibility, and fraternity can be promoted. The image of “weaving networks” was used to express the creation of bonds capable of generating participation, hope, and shared commitment.