Pope Leo XIV has acknowledged he faces an unusual rival for public attention this weekend in Madrid: Puerto Rican music sensation Bad Bunny. The pontiff, an American, is visiting Spain at the same time Bad Bunny is performing two shows in the capital as part of his 10-concert Spanish tour.
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane, Pope Leo XIV openly addressed the pop star's draw. He referenced anecdotal reports of a "newfound spiritual awakening especially among young people in Spain," and suggested his visit could help "awaken" something in young adults who he believes are "sensing a lack of meaning in their lives."
“If they are confronted with the question ‘Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go to see the pope?’ I think many will see Bad Bunny,” Leo said. “But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something, you know.”
Leo on Saturday is opening a weeklong visit to Spain that, after Madrid, will also take him to Barcelona and the Canary Islands. He’s hoping to bring a message of unity in a country polarized with political and church scandals.
Leo was also asked about news that plans are moving ahead for his beloved Chicago Bears to move to Hammond, Indiana. The board of the team voted this week to move forward with a stadium development project in Hammond.
Asked if he had any words of consolation for Illinois, the Chicago-born pope quipped: “That’s out of my pay (scale).”
In other sporting comments, Leo confirmed he would root for the U.S. in the upcoming World Cup but showed his true team colors when asked about whether he would root in Spain for Real Madrid or Barca:
“That’s easy,” he said. “The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is Real Madrid,” he said, referring to his birth name.
Leo, who has angered President Donald Trump by criticising his anti-immigration policies and the Iran war, will meet homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands during a visit he has said he hopes will set an example to the world about respecting "every human being."
"Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated," Leo said in a speech before King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
"I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history, so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity," he added.
