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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
William Christou

Pope Leo calls for leaders to reject polarisation as he begins Spanish tour

Pope Leo smiles and waves as he stands flanked by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia
Pope Leo XIV, centre, with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia outside the royal palace in Madrid on Saturday. Photograph: Shutterstock

Pope Leo has urged political leaders to seek unity, rather than divide their populations for political gain, and said they must fight for peace, in the opening speech of his tour in Spain.

The pope has made the marginalised a focus of his visit – his first tour of an EU country, apart from Italy – including meeting homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands. The pope, who has clashed with the US president, Donald Trump, over his immigration policies and war with Iran, said his visit was aimed at setting an example of respecting “every human being”.

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