How many police officers will secure the Pope's visit? This is what is known so far about the security operation

MadridMonths ago, a week in June was marked in red in Madrid: from the 6th to the 12th. It is an event that is on the social agenda, but also political, to the point that it is speculated that Juanma Moreno Bonilla decided to advance the Andalusian elections so that the electoral campaign would not coincide. It is about the visit of Pope Leo XIV to the State, where he will make a stop in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. This Monday, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, presided over the general meeting of the security device in Madrid, in which the director of the police, Josep Lluís Trapero, also participated.

As the minister explained in statements to the media, reported by the ACN, the visit will involve the deployment of 11,000 national police officers, in addition to 2,200 Civil Guard agents. Within a few hours, the Mossos d'Esquadra have also committed to reporting on their device. Taking into account the context in which the pontiff's trip is taking place –which will cost about 15 million euros–, Marlaska stated that it implies "plural threats", from terrorism to "radicalisms".

"We have the means and all the professional capacity to guarantee that the visit will be a success," defended the minister, stating that Spain wants to become a benchmark for international security in this regard. He cited the organization that was already carried out for the NATO summit in Madrid in 2022. Also in Barcelona, last month, the progressive summit for democracy took place with numerous heads of state and government officials.

The Pope's schedule

Although the Pope's agenda has yet to be finalized, Marlaska has stated that the main challenge will be the influx of parishioners. In fact, there will be events open to all citizens. Furthermore, in the case of Madrid, it coincides on the same weekend with Bad Bunny's concerts, which further complicates the coordination of the two security devices. One of the few concrete details on the table is that on Sunday, June 7, the pontiff will preside over Holy Mass in Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles and, subsequently, the Corpus Christi procession.

The context is one of maximum international attention. Just this week, Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State, is visiting the Vatican after the clash between the Pope and Donald Trump, as the pontiff has spoken out against the conflict in the Middle East. In this regard, the highest representative of the Church has become a role model for progressives, despite the fact that traditionally, the right has been closer to the church. The government of Pedro Sánchez itself has positioned him as a benchmark.

Within the State, the Church has also been a protagonist in the political battle in recent weeks. It has sided with the extraordinary regularization of migrants, which has led to a clash with the PP and Vox. Above all, the idyll with the far-right has ended due to policies of "national priority" or the veto of subsidies to organizations such as Cáritas that work with immigrants.