The Pope's visit and the virus ship

MadridPerhaps you think someone made a mistake by mixing in the title of this article the Pope's upcoming visit to Spain with the episode of the ship on which cases of hantavirus have been detected, which have caused the death of three people so far. But the decision to relate these two events is entirely voluntary, even though they are matters of very different significance. We are awaiting Leo XIV's messages with great interest, I would say more than ever in recent years of papal travels, surely due to the singularity of the moment we are living in the West and, more broadly, everywhere due to the stage of changes and uncertainties that humanity is going through. The pontiff has placed himself – or we have placed him – at the center of world attention, as a voice that the vast majority wants to hear to feel reaffirmed in their desires for progress, peace, and social well-being. It is clear that there have always been conflicts and dangers – even open wars, like the one in Ukraine – but the awareness of how much we are taking steps backward is more intense and recent. It is linked to the erratic way the North American administration has been conducting itself under the direction of its president, Donald Trump, and to the consequences of his way of acting.

The Vatican and the Catholic hierarchy tell us –as is normal– that the Pope's trip is pastoral, by its very nature and to distinguish it from a political tour. But if you'll allow me the joke, I would say that Leo XIV will not come to speak exclusively to the most devout or to strengthen the faith of his parishioners. This happened in other situations, for example with Pope Wojtyla, when he came to Spain from October 31 to November 9, 1982, alerted by a supposed loss of influence of the Catholic Church in Spain. The PSOE had just won the elections with 202 deputies and had concrete plans to legislate on matters such as abortion. More than forty years have passed, and due to the same evolution of the Vatican's priorities and the messages and concerns of John Paul II's successors –especially after Pope Francis's pontificate– what can be expected now is that Leo XIV's words will have a very different orientation and will pursue maximum connection with a broad majority of Spanish society.

It is at this point that the episode of the ship where cases of hantavirus have been detected, with fatal results for three people, comes into play. Leo XIV is a man of moderate expression, well-measured words, restrained smile, and a look that is both modest and intelligent. He generates trust because he convenes us without urgency. There is no staging or theater in him, but a will to persuade. Perhaps he will not stir passions, but he will win the affection of those who listen to him, whether they are practicing Catholics or not. I say this not only thinking about the war and conflicts in the Middle East, but also about the aforementioned pastoral dimension of his trip. It is about helping us to be –believers or not– better Christians or, if you prefer it more simply, better people. It is entirely related to this objective that Robert Prevost wanted to include the Canary Islands in his trip to Spain. His predecessor, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, already wanted to do so, to bring a message of solidarity regarding the tensions and conflicts that the management of immigration in the archipelago has been causing.

The government of Pedro Sánchez and that of Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands, will have to make an effort to overcome the initial reservations that have arisen regarding how to tackle the problem of the arrival on the islands of the ship where the virus has been detected. In part, due to the aforementioned factor of the Pope's visit and its significance. If the aim is to show solidarity and the capacity to care for those in situations of need and danger, the management of the situation in which the cruise ship MV Hondius finds itself is not outside this scope. The confinement measure for the Spanish passengers, already judicially ratified, is reasonable and proportionate to the risks. Obviously, this ship has nothing to do with a dinghy, but its arrival also poses a challenge for the administrations, with the obligation to work together. This is not about immigration, but about the capacity to react to help people affected by the risk posed by hantavirus. Let us consider that at this moment, actions are being followed from all over the planet to confront the problem that has arisen and to avoid a hypothetical spread of the deadly disease that this pathogen can cause.

Lessons yet to be learned

Now it's all meetings and contacts, but in the early stages there was a lack of coordination. In short, it was not demonstrated that we had learned the lessons of the COVID pandemic well. I am referring to the political aspects of the problem, rather than the health measures to be taken. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported five confirmed cases of contagion and three suspected ones. What should not happen is that Spain makes a spectacle of this matter. And unfortunately, it is heading that way. Santiago Abascal, for example, said these days that “Pedro Sánchez is capable of provoking an epidemic so that the swamp of corruption he presides over is not talked about”.

There is an enormous contrast between the climate of Spanish politics and what the Pope wants to ask those responsible for public management. Leo XIV will go to Congress, and will address the plenary session as head of state. The president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Luis Argüello, has described this act as "a fact of enormous relevance", because the pontiff is "a global reference in a moment of great global complexity". He also announced that the Pope "before the seat of national sovereignty will invite reflection on what an ethical and spiritual reference means at the time of the necessary regeneration of our democratic life". To which he added that "his words of dialogue, communion and peace will be a help to all". Pedro Sánchez's government, which has already been in various delicate and emergency situations – the pandemic, the La Palma volcano, the DANA, forest fires, etc. –, has another challenge with the management of the hantavirus boat, at dates that are a prelude to the papal visit. As now, this June Spain will once again open news bulletins to the whole world. The advantage for Sánchez is the full coincidence with Leo XIV's position on war and authoritarianism as a formula of government.