Pope visits Spain as Socialist government and the Church present a united front
AI Summary
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, began a seven-day visit to Spain on Saturday, emphasizing migration, social justice, and efforts to overcome political polarization. The Pope will tour Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, where he will honor migrants who died attempting to reach Europe, meet with victims of clergy sexual abuse, and address the Spanish Congress. The visit marks the first papal visit to Spain in over a decade and occurs amid political tensions in the country.
Pope Leo XIV landed in Madrid on June 6.
He is also set to visit Barcelona and the Canary Islands as relations between the Spanish Catholic Church – still a major force in the country – and Pedro Sánchez's government are in a good place.
Yet behind the official cordiality, some tensions remain. ...