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Pope Leo XIV heads to Spain on Saturday for a visit focused on Immigration and Social Justice at a politically turbulent time for Prime Minister Pedro Sa
France 24 reports that the visit begins with a welcome at the Royal Palace in Madrid from King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
Later in the day, a prayer vigil is scheduled near Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where 400,000 people are expected to attend.
On Sunday, around a million people are set to attend a Mass in the city centre.
During his seven-day trip, Leo will make a speech to the Spanish parliament and bless the new tower of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona – now the world’s tallest church.
He will also meet with some victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, the Vatican said.
Some 200,000 minors are estimated to have suffered such abuse in Spain since 1940, according to a 2023 report from Spain’s national ombudsman.
Sanchez’s government and the Catholic Church in Spain signed an agreement in March to compensate victims after years of reticence and opacity from the Church hierarchy.
The Canaries – Spanish islands off the coast of West Africa – have become the main entry point for irregular migrants into Spain after long and dangerous trips from Africa.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration estimates 1,172 migrants died or went missing along the route in 2025 – a figure only slightly lower than the 1,215 people recorded in 2024.
