Pope Leon XIV begins his visit to Spain by calling for an end to polarization

Pope Leon XIV arrived in the Spanish state on Saturday morning and will remain in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islandsuntil June 12th.

The plane, which left Fiumicino Airport in Rome at 8.13 a.m., landed at 10.20 a.m. at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport with a Vatican delegation and 80 journalists from 55 media outlets.

The Kings of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, together with the President of the Spanish Government, PedroSánchez , and various authorities, have received him on his arrival in Madrid.

After greeting the authorities, King Philip VI and the Pope delivered a speech.

Leon XIV has made a speech full of political references to the authorities.

There were, among others, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, thirteen ministers, all the Presidents of the Autonomous Communities except Imanol Pradales, who will be visiting with the Pope in the Canary Islands; the leader of the PP and opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo; the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal; the President of Congress, Francina Armengol; the Senate, Pedro Rollán; and the President of the Constitutional Court, Cándido Conde Pumpido.

Message for "reconciliation and cooperation"

"I stand before you to reaffirm, encourage and inspire the renewal of the fidelity of the faithful to the Gospel, as well as further reconciliation and cooperation between the various forces of this nation, "the pope said.

Leon XIV has asked his audience to "abandon the divisive and polarizing narratives of your social reality and history, moving from sterile simplifications to fruitful complexity."

"Nowadays, the temptation to gain fame by igniting the fire of polarization, rather than diminishing it, seems to have increased, and human dignity is constantly being violated.

The pope has argued that the history of Spain is not based on "the culture of discord," but that understanding and understanding bring "stability and prosperity," and has called for Leon XIV "to escape those identity visions that seem to illuminate everything but fill the world with ghosts and enemies. "

The pope has also thanked Spain "for its loyalty to international law and multilateralism, which is actively committed to peace and solidarity among peoples ".

Talking about victims of abuse

In his pre-Pope address, Philip VI highlighted the commitment and work of the Catholic community in Spain, without neglecting a thorny issue: abuses within the Church.

"In the face of all this, there can be no greater contrast than the pain caused by cases of abuse," said the King of Spain, "which are not and cannot represent the great ecclesiastical community," said Philip VI, in his first reference to allegations of sexual abuse.

The Pope's "clarity and firmness" is essential for the victims, for the faithful, for the Church and for society as a whole, the King recalled, who spoke to journalists on the plane that took him to Spain.

"I myself have always worked to set up committees, to make rules, and I will continue to do so, as will the whole Church, because it is still an open wound," the pope said on the plane.

In this regard, the Vatican announced on Friday that Leon XIV will receive victims of abuseduring his visit to Spain, but did not specify the date or the summons.

All indications are that they will be victims of the Repara Projectof the Archdiocese of Madrid, and not of other organizations that have mobilized in recent years, such as Infancia Robada or Reparación Integral Ya, which is why they have announced that on Monday they will hold a protest rally in front of the headquarters of the nunciature of Madrid.

130,000 people waiting to see the pope

Shortly after 1.30 p.m. Leon XIV began his first tour of the streets of Madrid after finishing the welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace, in papamóvil.

He left Armeria Square in the direction of the nunciature, while the bells of the Almudena Cathedral were ringing again. International, which passed into a closed vehicle in Columbus Square, under the attentive gaze of the 130,000 people gathered in the streets of Madrid, according to the Government Delegation.

He will pray with the young in the afternoon

In the afternoon, the pope visited the 24-hour CEDIA centre in Caritas, in the Lucero district of Madrid, from 6 p.m., where he learned first-hand about Caritas' work with the homeless and vulnerable.

The first day of the papal visit will end in the evening in Lima Square with a massive vigil of prayer with young people, who will enjoy music, listen to testimony and combine moments of prayer, as well as direct conversations between the pope and the attendees.

The motto of this visit by Leon XIV is "Alzad la mirada", his fourth international trip since he was elected pope.

Madrid is expected to receive 1.5 million visitors these days.