Pope calls for unity in Spain during first visit in 15 years

Pope Leo XIV called on political leaders to "stop fanning the flames of polarization" today, upon his arrival in Spain, at a time of political turmoil for the Socialist-led government and a crisis of credibility for the Catholic Church.

The American pope, who has Spanish ancestry, has traveled to the country dozens of times as a priest, but this is the first papal visit there in 15 years. It signals Leo's refocusing the Vatican's attention on Europe's Christian roots, after Pope Francis largely shied away from traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities in more remote corners of the world.

Leo seems determined to bring his message of peace, unity and human dignity to a continent deeply divided over migration, Russia's war in Ukraine and concerns about artificial intelligence, AP writes.

The Pope began his seven-day visit in Madrid, where he was welcomed at the airport by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

During the trip, he told reporters that he was particularly pleased by reports of a spiritual awakening among young people in the once strongly Catholic, but now secularized country.

In his welcoming speech, Lav appealed to Spaniards, and especially political leaders, to put aside polemics and invest in educating young people so that they learn to appreciate diversity and complexity, instead of rejecting them.

“Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fueling polarization seems to have increased, rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated,” said Love.

He called on Spain to serve as an example to the rest of the continent, while recalling the country's 800-year Moorish past, when cities like Toledo and Cordoba became "centers of dialogue between languages, religions and knowledge."

“For the love of truth, I urge everyone to set aside divisive and polarizing narratives of your social reality and history,” he said.

Spanish society is increasingly divided over issues such as immigration, feminism and political corruption, while it has historically been torn apart by territorial and separatist movements.

The highlight of the Pope's visit to Madrid will be his speech on Monday before both houses of the Spanish parliament, the first such speech by a pope. Such speeches are rare and often become one of the most important moments of a pontificate.

But Mr. López will address a deeply polarized legislature, with the ruling Socialist Party rocked by a series of corruption scandals. Conservative parties, including the Popular Party and the far-right Vox, have called on Mr. Sánchez to step down before elections in 2027 and have sharply criticized his government's migration policies.

Spain's Socialist-led government has broken with the general trend in Europe and the United States by announcing it will grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the country without permission. Sanchez has touted the benefits of legal migration for the country's economy, which is facing an aging population and low birth rates.

After Madrid, he will visit Barcelona in midweek, where he will celebrate mass at the Sagrada Familia Basilica on the centennial of the death of its famous architect, Antoni Gaudí.

Leo will also fulfill Pope Francis' wish by ending his visit with a two-day stay in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago that is closer to Africa than the Iberian Peninsula and is one of the key destinations for migrants departing from West Africa.