Leo XIV leaves the bar very high

MadridIt was evident that this could not last. The Pope's trip to Spain has been a great success, due to the clarity of the messages —both spiritual and political—, the good organization, and the attention with which it has been followed everywhere. But this climate of intense call for harmony and work for the common good, from unity, will be linked internally with the memory of a period when the country lived trapped in a reality of continuous upheaval. Leo XIV, it is undeniable, has set the bar very high, as high as the cross that crowns the central tower of the Sagrada Familia. The key word of this trip has been dignity, the conception of the person as the holder of inalienable and non-renounceable rights, deserving of the utmost respect. I would like to believe that, for this reason, the applause in Congress lasted almost seven minutes, so that in the hemicycle there is a minimum common denominator regarding the relationship that the chamber should have with citizens.

Surely the pontiff has not preached in the desert, that his words have touched the hearts of many men and women who will feel deeply influenced by the appeals contained in the homilies and speeches delivered. But Leo XIV himself spoke to us about the distance that sometimes exists between idea and reality. What those of us who were adolescents, or very young, during the Transition from Francoism to democracy wanted is not the evolution of the system that is happening. There will be many of us who feel dragged along by circumstances, disappointed by the behavior of one and another, and in need of regaining faith —and here I am not talking about theological virtues—, or at least confidence in those who are to lead us as a society.

For this very reason, I cling to the Pope's words in the Courts, considering them a refuge and a hope. Robert Prevost did not play any hand games in front of the deputies and senators; he spoke to them, softening his sincerity. Here we find the priest and disciple of Saint Augustine of Hippo who is within his current habits as Pope of Rome. The effects he achieved are laid out for us by the same father of the Church in his great work, The ConfessionsI really enjoyed Leo XIV's smile at the end of his speechI greatly enjoyed Pope Leo XIV's smile at the end of his speech, as he stood next to Francina Armengol, the President of Congress, during those seven minutes of applause. The Pope could then have made some gesture to extinguish that parliamentary flare-up, but he let them do it. He saw the Popular Party members clapping enthusiastically —as if they had just won a fundamental vote, who knows if the dreamed-of investiture of Feijóo—, while the socialists tried to keep pace with a more relaxed expression, as if celebrating that once again their adversaries had been left a step away from the finish line, without reaching it. Oh, Saint Augustine, how right you were, in that chapter VI.

The pontiff's speech to Congress had already had a clear and direct prologue on the day of his arrival, when he addressed the authorities at the welcome ceremony headed by Felipe VI and his family, at the Royal Palace. In a virtuous paragraph, he first said "I come among you to confirm, encourage, and inspire a renewed fidelity of believers to the Gospel", but added that he also wanted to urge "deeper reconciliation and cooperation between the different forces of this nation". As is obvious, Leo XIV did not come to Spain to prop up Pedro Sánchez, nor does the continuity of the socialist leader depend exclusively on his immigration policy, and in favor of the preservation of peace and respect for international law. These options find majority support in Spanish society and will undoubtedly ensure that the PSOE continues to play a leading role in the balance of power after the next elections. The social democratic option will remain among the main political forces, while I note that a great pit of mistrust has opened beneath their feet.

Corruption

which has meant the opening of a new summary pieceplumber Leire Díez and the businessmen who surrounded them. The socialist militancy is devastated, scared, dejected and incredulous. And the voters, looking for light to find a way out. It gets worse with each step. In judicial terms, it may be important to annul the recordings made by the North American security agency concerning Zapatero's alleged intervention to favor the obtention of aid for the airline company Plus Ultra. But politically, the appraisal of the jewels found in the safe of his former presidential office, valued at 1,323,915 euros, is as damaging, or more so, which has meant the opening of a new summary proceeding for alleged crimes of tax fraud and smuggling.

I turn my gaze away from this abyss. I'll stick with Gaudí and the Sagrada Família. I lived next to it during my childhood, while I studied at the Claretians, in the same neighborhood. I am very pleased that the Pope spoke so many times in Catalan and that he followed the singing of the Virolai at Montserrat, reading the lyrics while moving his lips. I value that he exhorted the bishops to confront the "plague" of pedophilia and achieve "real healing changes," and I regret that he did not receive more victims. I appreciate the good work done by cardinals Omella and Cobos, and by the president of the Episcopal Conference, Luis Argüello, decisive for the success of the papal visit. And I pray that the echo of Leo XIV's words in Spain will take a long time to fade.