Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Spain will bring the American pontiff to a traditional center of European Christianity, where the Catholic Church has a complex legacy and the Socialist-led government is in the midst of a political crisis.
Leo’s weeklong visit begins Saturday in Madrid with a welcome by the country’s Catholic monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. His first day ends with a prayer vigil with young people, many of whom will be witnessing their first pope on Spanish soil.
