Leo XIV claims political "reconciliation" in Spain

MadridSeven days. Madrid, Catalonia and the Canary Islands. About twenty events and some 2,500 kilometers. This is the summary of the visit of Leo XIV, the third pontiff to travel to the State – the first was John Paul II and the second Benedict XVI. The journey began this Saturday in Madrid. His will be a religious and symbolic journey, but also with a high political content, as has already become evident in his first public speech: "I come among you to confirm, spur, and inspire a renewed fidelity of believers to the Gospel, as well as a deeper reconciliation and cooperation between the different forces" in the State, the pontiff has expressed from the Hall of Columns of the Royal Palace of Madrid and before 250 people including authorities, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps. In fact, just after claiming this "reconciliation" in Spanish politics, Leo XIV has even set his sights on the State's past: "Its own history suggests that it is not the culture of confrontation, but that of encounter, that generates stability and prosperity," he expressed in what has been understood as an implicit reference to the Spanish Civil War.In addition to the King and Queen of Spain, the Pope was also awaited on the tarmac at Barajas Airport by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, as well as representatives of the Church. After greeting them, Leo XIV addressed a group of families with children with functional diversity who were also waiting for him at the airport and whom he greeted one by one. In all the Pope's events during his visit to the State, there will be, at a minimum, a representative of the Spanish executive, and Pedro Sánchez will even attend the solemn mass he will offer at the Sagrada Família on June 10. It will be the first time in eight years that Sánchez attends a Catholic ceremony as President of the Spanish government.

One of the other hallmarks of Leo XIV's profile, and which has also been present in this his first speech, is his vision of welcome and respect towards the migrant population. In fact, the pontiff ends his trip in the Canary Islands, the most dangerous migratory route in Europe. The pontiff has disavowed "walls" against Islam at a time when in Spain Vox, but also the PP – and Aliança, in Catalonia – are flirting with setting limits and even vetoing acts and Islamic places of worship. "The presence of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula, for example, has constituted a long-lasting political, cultural and religious reality. During this time, not only was there confrontation, but an attempt was made to create a space for contact, conversation and dialogue," said Leo XIV. Words that have resonated, precisely, before Santiago Abascal (Vox), Alberto Núñez Feijóo (PP) and Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP).Commitment to peace

The Spanish government has fully committed to this trip. In fact, the visit of Leo XIV is a boost for Pedro Sánchez, for whom the year has begun marked by judicial fronts that besiege the PSOE, but also his personal circle. While internal politics in Spain is marked by constant wear and tear, Sánchez seeks to strengthen his figure as a global progressive leader and openly oppose Donald Trump's positions, and here he has found "harmony" with the pontiff.

In fact, Moncloa's positions on the current international context, especially regarding the conflicts in Palestine or the Middle East, have not gone unnoticed in Leo XIV's speech: "I express my gratitude to your country [Spain] for its fidelity to international law and multilateralism, which translates into an active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples," said the pontiff. But this fluid understanding, as well as Pedro Sánchez's ideological coincidences with the Vatican, contrasts with the relationship with the Spanish Church. La Moncloa has often clashed with the conservative sector of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE). In fact, one of the latest clashes was when the head of the bishops, Luis Argüello, asked for elections to "unblock" the political situation in the State and Sánchez challenged him to run.Abuses in the Church

One of the other poles that the central government has had with the Episcopal Conference is about the reparation of victims of pedophilia in the Church. In this regard, the Vatican confirmed this Friday that during the trip to Spain there will be a closed-door meeting with the victims. In fact, Pope Leo XIV admitted in an informal conversation with the press during the flight from Italy to Madrid that pedophilia in the Church is still an "open wound" and that he intends to continue fighting it. He did not refer to it, however, during his first public speech. In response to journalists' questions about scandals of abuse by members of the Spanish Church, the pontiff wanted to make his commitment to end this scourge clear: "Wherever I have been, I have always worked to establish norms, follow them, and I will continue to do so throughout the Church because it is still an open wound," he said.