Pope Leo XIV began a week-long state visit to Spain on Saturday, the first papal trip to the country in fifteen years.
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Leo XIV praised Spain’s adherence to international law and multilateralism, the country’s positions on the conflicts in Gaza, Iran and Ukraine, as well as its reception of migrants.
Comments that come at the right time for the Socialist Party in power, criticized by some for its policy on immigration and mired in corruption scandals.
This trip also takes place in the context of the sexual abuse crisis committed by members of the clergy. Pope to meet victims as Spanish Church reviews decades of abuse and cover-ups.
During his stay, Leo XIV, who has already met the Spanish royal family, must also deliver a historic speech before both houses of Parliament, a first for a pope.
The sovereign pontiff will also travel to Barcelona to celebrate mass at the Sagrada Familia. He will inaugurate the central spire of Antoni GaudÃ’s unfinished masterpiece, which will make it the tallest church in the world.
