Pope Leo XIV’s Visit to Spain: A Journey Across the Country
Pope Leo XIV is set to embark on a significant visit to Spain in the first week of June, covering over 2,500 kilometers across Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife. During his stay, he will deliver 12 speeches, five homilies, and five greetings, marking a busy and impactful itinerary.
Saturday 6 June: Arrival in Madrid and Ceremony at the Royal Palace
The visit will commence on Saturday, 6 June, with the Pope arriving in Madrid at 10:30. At 11:30, a welcome ceremony will take place at the Royal Palace of Madrid. Following this, the King and Queen, the Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofía will hold a private meeting with the Pope, in line with the Royal Household’s schedule.
At 12:30, the Pope will participate in an institutional meeting with authorities, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps, delivering his first address. In the afternoon, at 18:00, he will visit the Cedia 24 horas social centre in the Lucero neighborhood of the Latina district. During the event, the Archdiocese of Madrid’s social outreach ministry will present him with a wooden tree carved by users of Cáritas Madrid’s Addiction Treatment Centre. The day will also feature a performance by Niña Pastori.
At 20:30, after a tour in the popemobile, the Pope will take part in a prayer vigil with young people in Plaza de Lima, his first major mass event in Spain. There, he will deliver a speech, answer questions on issues such as polarization and the meaning of life, and the event will include musical performances by various artists. This vigil will coincide with a Bad Bunny concert, and the Archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo, is not ruling out a possible meeting between the artist and the Pope during his stay in the capital.
In addition, 15 museums and cultural institutions in Madrid, such as the Prado and the Reina Sofía, will extend their opening hours, as will several nearby churches, which will remain open at night to welcome pilgrims as part of the “White and Yellow Night” initiative.
Sunday 7 June: Corpus Christi Procession at Cibeles and Meeting at the Movistar Arena
On Sunday, 7 June, the Pope will celebrate Mass with a homily at 10:00, followed by the procession of Corpus Christi in Plaza de Cibeles. In the afternoon, at 16:30, he will hold a private meeting with members of the order of Saint Augustine at the Apostolic Nunciature.
At 18:00, the Pope will meet at the Movistar Arena with representatives from the worlds of culture, the arts, the economy, and sport at the “Weaving networks” gathering, with the participation of figures such as Antonio Banderas, Rozalén, and Carolina Marín. At 19:30, he will have dinner at the residence of the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo.
Monday 8 June: Meeting with Pedro Sánchez, Visit to Congress
On Monday, 8 June, the Pope will begin the day with a meeting with the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, at the Nunciature at 9:30. Afterwards, at 10:30, he will meet with parliament in the Congress, where he will deliver a historic speech, becoming the first Pope to address the chamber.
Sánchez and the Pope are expected to meet on at least four occasions during the visit: at Barajas airport, at the Apostolic Nunciature, in the Congress of Deputies, and at the Sagrada Familia. At 11:30, the Pope will meet the Spanish bishops at the headquarters of the Bishops’ Conference, where there will be greetings, speeches, an exchange of gifts, and a signing of the visitors’ book. He will then have lunch with the prelates at the Apostolic Nunciature.
In the afternoon, he will visit the Almudena Cathedral for a prayer and a tribute to the Virgin, and at 19:00, he will take part in a meeting with the diocesan community at the Santiago Bernabéu, which will include music, magic, and religious processions. The event, to be hosted by Christian Gálvez and Patricia Pardo, will include performances by artists such as David Bustamante and magician Jorge Blass.
Tuesday 9 June: Meeting with Volunteers at Ifema and Trip to Barcelona
On Tuesday, 9 June, Pope Leo XIV will meet the volunteers involved in the visit at Pavilion 3 at Ifema, where he will deliver another speech. Afterwards, at 11:10, he will leave by plane for Barcelona, with arrival at El Prat scheduled for 12:25.
In Barcelona, the Pope will lead the Midday Prayer in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, including a homily. Later, at 20:00, he will preside over a prayer vigil at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, where he will give an address to those present.
Wednesday 10 June: Meeting with 80 Prisoners and Visit to Montserrat
On 10 June, at 10:50, the Pope will visit the Brians 1 prison, where he will meet with 80 inmates and listen to the testimony of two female prisoners. At 12:00, he will enter the Abbey of Montserrat, for the recitation of the Holy Rosary and a scheduled address by the Pontiff. At around 13:00, he will have lunch with the Benedictine community of Montserrat.
At 16:30, Leo XIV will visit the Church of Saint Augustine and deliver another speech. At 19:30, Mass is scheduled in the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia and the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ. Around 8,000 people are expected to attend.
Thursday 11 June: Trip to the Canary Islands and Meeting with Migrants
The Pope will travel to the Canary Islands, where he is due to arrive at the Gando air base (Gran Canaria) at 10:50. With this final leg of his journey, Prevost revives one of the dreams of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had wanted to visit the islands to refocus the global agenda on the issue of migration.
The first speech by Robert Prevost in the archipelago will take place at the port of Arguineguín, scheduled for 11:40. The Pope will listen to the testimony of four migrants from Africa and Latin America and will lay a floral offering.
Afterwards, the Pope is scheduled to meet bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, as well as seminarians and pastoral workers in the cathedral of Santa Ana, where he will deliver another address. At 18:30, Mass will be celebrated at the Gran Canaria Stadium, for which 50,000 people have registered.
Friday 12 June: Meeting with Migrants and Return to Rome
The Pope will arrive in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Friday, 12 June, his last stop before returning to Rome. He is scheduled to land at 9:10 at Los Rodeos Airport, and at 9:30, he will visit the Las Raíces migrant centre, where the Pontiff will give a greeting. At 10:10, he will hold another meeting in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna.
At 12:15, Leo XIV will deliver the final homily of his trip to Spain at Mass celebrated in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. At 14:30, the farewell ceremony will take place at Los Rodeos, and at 15:00, the Pontiff will set course for Rome, where he is expected to arrive at 20:10.
