From institutions to the peripheries: Pope Leo's pilgrimage to Spain

Pope Leo XIV's upcoming Apostolic Journey to Spain, scheduled for June 6–12, is significant in every respect. So too is the anticipation surrounding this fourth international trip, which will see Leo XIV travel 2,500 kilometers, stopping in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria and Tenerife).

Many speeches, many meetings, many journeys through plazas and stadiums, many people—an estimated half a million faithful are expected to attend the various events—and many themes: from disarmament to peace, from the role of the Church to the challenges facing Spain and Europe, from the defense of life to migration.

"Needless to say, expectations are high," began Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, as he presented the program and details of the Pope's pilgrimage to "a land of ancient Christian tradition."

"A land," the Vatican spokesman said, "that served as a laboratory of dialogue between different worlds in the heart of the Middle Ages. A land of great thinkers and Christian culture: the School of Salamanca, where in the sixteenth century scholastic theology and international law met, helping to shape reflection on the rights and dignity of every human person."

It is also the land of "great saints" such as St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Ávila, whose thought resonates prophetically with the challenges of our own time.

In Spain, the Pope will encounter this rich historical and cultural heritage while meeting representatives of the Church and public institutions, as well as thousands of young people, families, and figures from the worlds of sport, culture, and entertainment—some of whom will participate in the public events.

The dialogue between Church, politics, and culture as tools for overcoming polarization, along with reflection on technological and human progress—also in light of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas—will be among the central themes of the Pope's 23 speeches, greetings, and homilies.

Naturally, peace will also be a major focus in an age marked by wars. Closely connected is the theme of disarmament, "at a time when the use of weapons is increasingly being justified," Bruni noted.

"In this sense," he added, "one may also reflect on the role of the Church in Spain, and more broadly in Europe, in light of its history—all of its history—as a precious treasure in moments of greatness as well as in times of crisis."