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Bishop Citora Afonso, Bishop of Quelimane and Apostolic Administrator of Beira, has been found dead after being shot at his episcopal residence in Mozambique. Authorities have opened an investigation into the killing Bishop Citora Afonso, Bishop of Quelimane and Apostolic Administrator of Beira in Mozambique, was found dead on the morning of 6 June at his episcopal residence in Quelimane, having been fatally shot in the chest. He was 54. Fides News Agency reported that Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service has opened an investigation, with no details or lines of enquiry regarding who is responsible having been released. A memorial Mass was celebrated on 6 June 2026 at 6pm at the Parish of Our Lady of Liberation, Quelimane Cathedral. Bishop Citora Afonso was the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane, established in 1954 under the patronage of Our Lady of Liberation. Born on 6 May 1972 in Ribaue, in the Diocese of Nampula, Bishop Afonso studied at the Christ the King Preparatory Seminary and Saint Augustine Major Seminary in Matola before undertaking theological studies at the Saint-Eugène de Mazenod Institute in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. While at seminary, he became a member of the Consolata Missionaries, taking perpetual vows on 17 June 2001 and being ordained a priest on 3 November 2002. His ministry saw him undertake further studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the École Biblique et Archéologique Française and obtain a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He also held various leadership positions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Italy before being appointed an official of the Dicastery for Evangelization in 2017. On 21 September 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Maputo. On 25 July 2025, Pope Leo XIV transferred him to the Diocese of Quelimane and appointed him diocesan bishop there. Since August 2025, he had served as secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique and, in April 2026, he was appointed by Pope Leo XIV as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Beira. Commenting on the murder, Daniel Francisco Chapo stated that “the death of Bishop Osório represents an irreparable loss for Mozambican society and for the Christian community”, highlighting the bishop’s witness of humility, pastoral dedication and commitment to promoting the values of peace and reconciliation. The President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, Inácio Saúre, said that Bishop Afonso “was found dead under unusual circumstances that are still to be clarified”. The archbishop also appealed for calm, saying: “At this very troubled moment, I appeal for serenity in faith and fraternal solidarity, in the hope that we will be able, in due course, to provide accurate and detailed information regarding this sad event.” While the motives behind the murder are unknown, Bishop Afonso was an outspoken critic of the Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique, particularly in Cabo Delgado Province. Speaking to Fides News Agency, he said: “The situation seems out of control. The attacks continue, always in the same areas, and the population is terrified.”

On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass before 1.2 million faithful in Madrid and delivered a homily centred on the Eucharist, charity and Spain’s Catholic heritage. Read the full text On the second day of his apostolic visit to Spain, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, delivered an impassioned homily before 1.2 million faithful gathered in the centre of the nation’s capital. Speaking on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Pope said that on this day Catholics celebrate that Jesus “does not remain enclosed within the church, but comes out to meet us”. He also exhorted Spain’s Catholics not to let their faith “become a museum”, but to be recognised as “a school that teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbour, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise a brother or sister”. Spain’s history is one of deep Catholic devotion, but it has also been marked by periods of anti-clerical socialism, leading many to speak of “two Spains”. Under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the country has been subject to particularly aggressive secular and anti-Catholic legislation, notably laws limiting religious education in Catholic schools and introducing assisted suicide. Although the Holy Father has remained clear of political debate, his call for Spain to return to its Catholic roots struck a notably different tone from Sánchez’s secularism, which seeks to remove the Church’s presence in public life. The Holy Father concluded by praying for those present, imploring Jesus that “a full and abundant life may spring forth for you, for your families and for your country”. The full text is reproduced below: Dear priests, religious brothers and sisters, Your Majesties, brothers and sisters, With my heart filled with joy at the beginning of this journey to Spain, I preside over this celebration on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. We are gathered around the Eucharist, the gift of Christ’s living presence among us. He who wished to offer us his life in order to bring us into communion with the Father and make us his children is here as the living bread come down from heaven, who nourishes us with the very life of God, with a love stronger than death. This remembrance of the Lord present in the Eucharistic bread is at the heart of your faith and of the history of your people. Here in Madrid, but also in so many other places throughout Spain, Corpus Christi is not merely another feast in the calendar, but a return to the roots of faith in order to renew love and fidelity to God. The solemn processions of this day have embodied for centuries the piety, the art, the music, the architecture and the life of the Spanish people, and even today they express and manifest the spiritual sentiment of this country, also through the beauty and elegance of the floral carpets, of the altars in the streets, the care devoted to the monstrances and displays, the hymns and the ornaments. This is not a matter of an external display, a folkloric survival, or a simple aesthetic adornment. Rather, it is faith in the presence of the Risen Lord, who is alive and continues to pass among us, who becomes bread for our hunger for life and visits the corners of our hearts and of our history, even the darkest ones. Thus, if in the Eucharistic celebration Christ gives himself as food, the procession proclaims that he does not remain enclosed within the church, but comes out to meet us. Jesus walks through the streets, crosses the squares, visits our neighbourhoods, and dwells in the places of our daily life. He is the God who is near and who walks with his people, the Lord of history, comfort for the weak, light for families, hope for the sick, peace for those who suffer. The Christ who passes through the streets in the monstrance is the same Christ who identifies himself with the poor, the downcast, those who are alone and abandoned. It is no coincidence that here in Spain the Church has for many years linked the Solemnity of Corpus Christi with the Day of Charity. It is not simply a matter of carrying the monstrance through the streets, but of allowing ourselves to be drawn out of selfishness, indifference, and a comfortable and private faith, in order to respond to his invitation to conversion, to change our way of seeing, and to open ourselves to his presence, a presence that transforms us and makes us builders of a new world. For this reason, the historical memory of the Corpus Christi processions cannot be imprisoned by nostalgic remembrance. Rather, it becomes an invitation for today, for our personal lives, for our relationships, for society, and for the building of the future. It is in this light that we must understand the invitation to remember that we heard in the first reading. “Remember the whole journey that the Lord your God made you travel during these forty years in the desert.” “Remember how, when you were hungry, he fed you with manna.” It is a matter of remembering precisely so as not to forget who the Lord is, so as not to fall into the temptation of trusting in other idols and feeding ourselves on a bread that does not satisfy. Therefore, here is a task entrusted to the Spain of today and tomorrow: that the religious faith which has animated this country for centuries may not become a museum of the past to be visited, but rather a school of faith from which people may still drink today. A school that teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbour, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise a brother or sister. A school that teaches us gratitude, the love that becomes a gift so that it may circulate among us and break the chains of every form of selfishness. A school in which we learn that God is truly present, and that we too are called to be present amid the situations and challenges of society, not to flee from them, but to commit ourselves personally to the building of the common good. Brothers and sisters, I wish to recall here Saint Manuel González, the bishop of the abandoned tabernacles. His life reminds us that the Eucharist cannot be honoured only during great celebrations or in an occasional way, but also through the silent fidelity of those who accompany the Lord with a humble and discreet friendship nourished day by day. I would also like to recall the poetic verses of Saint John of the Cross: “I know well the fountain that flows and runs, though it is night.” In the convent prison of Toledo, where he was imprisoned under extremely harsh conditions, precisely around Corpus Christi in the year 1578, he recognised, from within the darkness of that prison, the hidden presence of the Lord, from whom springs a light that never fails and a life that is never exhausted. Jesus in the Eucharist is that eternal fountain which remains hidden, a fountain that flows and quenches thirst, yet without dazzling, without imposing itself through outward power, without presenting itself in a spectacular manner. Let us return to him with sincere love. Let us open ourselves to an encounter with him. Let us allow him to refresh the dryness of our hearts so that we may then go out onto the roads of life and history carrying among people this stream of fresh water, a stream of love, peace, justice and joy. Let us drink once more from this Eucharistic fountain, which does not enclose us within a private devotion, but sends us out to our brothers and sisters, to families, to the poor, to those who suffer, to those who have lost hope. The grace of the Eucharist transforms us, but it also makes us protagonists in the transformation of history and signs of hope for those whom we encounter. May the Lord Jesus, present in the Eucharist, make you bread broken, given and offered, so that a full and abundant life may spring forth for you, for your families and for your country. Image credit: EUROPA PRESS – JESÚS HELLÍN

More than 30,000 carnations transformed the centre of Madrid as Pope Leo XIV led a Corpus Christi procession attended by an estimated 1.2 million people More than 30,000 carnations filled the centre of Madrid for the Corpus Christi procession led by the Holy Father during his apostolic visit to Spain. The Asociación de Alfombristas del Corpus Christi de Ponteareas (Association of Corpus Christi Carpet Makers of Ponteareas) was responsible for bringing the floral display to the Spanish capital. Located in the south of the province of Pontevedra, Ponteareas is internationally recognised for its Corpus Christi celebrations, a tradition that residents have maintained for more than 200 years by creating spectacular carpets made from flowers and natural plant materials for the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. This form of ephemeral floral art is considered one of the most important expressions of Galician cultural heritage. The celebration has been declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest and, in April 2024, was granted Cultural Interest status by the Xunta de Galicia. The decorations, known as floral carpets, covered more than 500 metres of Calle de Alcalá, one of Madrid’s longest streets. Miguel Ángel García of the Association of Corpus Christi Carpet Makers of Ponteareas explained: “The carpets of Ponteareas are much more than an artistic expression; they are a manifestation of faith passed down from generation to generation. The carpets are made in honour of the Blessed Sacrament. That this tradition can form part of the Corpus Christi celebrations in Madrid, coinciding with the visit of Pope Leo XIV, is a recognition of the work of hundreds of people who, for more than two hundred years, have kept this heritage alive.” Twenty-four carpet makers from Ponteareas worked alongside more than 160 volunteers to create the artwork in honour of the Blessed Sacrament. Accompanied by other clergy, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as well as children who made their First Holy Communion this year, the Pope processed from Plaza de Cibeles along Calle de Alcalá towards Gran Vía and the Church of San José before returning to Cibeles. An estimated 1.2 million people attended, a substantial crowd and around 20 per cent more than the number reported to have welcomed Saint John Paul II during his 2003 visit. Photo credit: Marcos Nogales

Cardinal Robert Sarah has issued a fresh appeal for unity ahead of the SSPX’s planned episcopal consecrations on 1 July, describing the situation as “objectively serious” and a source of “deep grief” Cardinal Robert Sarah has warned that any episcopal consecrations carried out by the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) without papal approval would further damage the unity of the Church and further separate the traditionalist society from hierarchical communion with Rome. In an interview with the French Catholic publication La Nef , the former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments addressed reports that the SSPX intends to consecrate bishops on 1 July despite objections from the Holy See. Speaking about the prospect of new episcopal consecrations, Cardinal Sarah said the situation remained “objectively serious” and was a source of “deep grief”. “Sources close to the Society have announced new episcopal consecrations for July 1, 2026, and the Holy See has reportedly warned that such an act would constitute a decisive break with ecclesial communion,” Cardinal Sarah said. The Guinean cardinal noted that canon law provides that both a bishop who consecrates another bishop without a papal mandate and the recipient incur automatic excommunication. “Here, the act would be even more serious since it would involve ordaining a bishop against a formal request from the Apostolic See,” he said. The cardinal warned that attachment to Catholic tradition could never be divorced from ecclesial obedience, saying that “fidelity to Tradition cannot be separated from hierarchical communion”. His Eminence stressed that concern for ecclesial unity should not obscure the doctrinal concerns raised by members of the society. “And hierarchical communion, for its part, must never disregard the suffering or the doctrinal questions that have accumulated,” the former prefect said. “Truth and charity must go hand in hand. I believe we need to fast and pray so that the irreparable can be avoided.” Cardinal Sarah has consistently spoken against the SSPX’s planned episcopal consecrations without a papal mandate, scheduled for 1 July 2026. In his public statement, Before It Is Too Late! A Call to Unity , he expressed grave concern over the decision, warning that such disobedience risks an irreversible rupture in the Church. Cardinal Sarah stated: “For this reason, I wish to express my grave concern and my profound sorrow upon learning of the announcement by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, founded by Archbishop Lefebvre, of its intention to proceed with episcopal ordinations without pontifical mandate.” His Eminence added: “We are told that this decision to disobey the law of the Church is motivated by the supreme law of the salvation of souls: suprema lex, salus animarum . But salvation is Christ, and He gives Himself only within the Church. How can one claim to lead souls to salvation by paths other than those He Himself has indicated to us?” Beyond the SSPX, Cardinal Sarah made remarks about the state of the Church and Western society, the legacy of Pope Francis, the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council and the challenges facing the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. Cardinal Sarah also expressed concern about what he described as the return of paganism within the Church. “Paganism is not merely the worship of visible idols; it is also the loss of the meaning of worship itself,” His Eminence said. He warned that when faith is reduced to “sociological language”, liturgy becomes entertainment and morality a matter of perpetual negotiation, meaning that “something of paganism returns”. The cardinal added that the Church must resist adapting herself to the spirit of the age, warning that “permeability to the spirit of the world is the great heresy of our time”. “The world does not expect the Church to repeat its words; it expects it to open Heaven to it,” Cardinal Sarah said. Speaking about the late Pope Francis, Cardinal Sarah said it was legitimate for Church leaders to exercise discernment regarding a previous pontificate, provided it was done with reverence and fidelity. “It is not only permissible, but sometimes necessary, to exercise discernment regarding a period in the life of the Church,” the cardinal said, adding that “a cardinal is not a courtier” but “a servant of truth and a collaborator of the Apostolic See”. “If this pontificate helps the Church to regain more doctrinal clarity, liturgical depth, inner peace and sense of God, then it will render a great service to the faithful,” he said. While rejecting what he described as “worldly assessments” of a papacy, the former prefect acknowledged that pontificates could leave behind “areas of unease or confusion”. The Guinean cardinal argued that “it would be unjust to attribute to a single man a crisis that predates him by a considerable margin”, while also recognising that an era can leave “wounds of confusion”. During the Francis pontificate, Cardinal Sarah emphasised fidelity to the Successor of Peter and rejected any narrative of personal opposition. As prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, he met regularly with the Pope as part of his curial responsibilities throughout his seven-year tenure. In a 2021 interview following his resignation as prefect, Cardinal Sarah stated: “Even though some journalists continually repeat the same nonsense, I have never opposed the pope. … Some people insinuate without reason … that we were enemies. It’s not true! Pope Francis likes frankness. We have always worked together with simplicity, despite the fantasies of journalists.” Turning to the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Sarah argued that some conciliar texts would benefit from greater clarification, while rejecting suggestions that the council itself should be repudiated. “I would speak first of clarifications rather than corrections,” the former prefect said, insisting that “a council must be read within the continuity of the faith as it has always been”. He identified religious liberty, ecumenism, collegiality and the relationship between the Church and the modern world as among the subjects that have generated differing interpretations since the council. “Where certain texts have given rise to divergent, even opposing, interpretations, it is legitimate to call for a deeper examination in order to avoid readings that represent a break with the faith,” Cardinal Sarah said. The cardinal also criticised forms of democracy detached from objective moral truth. While defending democracy as a legitimate political system, he warned that it becomes relativistic when it claims that majorities can determine good and evil. “No procedure can create truth,” Cardinal Sarah said, warning that “a democracy that does not recognize an objective and transcendent limit to its power becomes a dictatorship of relativism”. Despite his concerns about the condition of the Church and wider society, Cardinal Sarah pointed to signs of renewal, including growing interest among young Catholics in Eucharistic adoration, confession and traditional forms of prayer. He also highlighted reports of increasing adult baptisms in parts of Europe as evidence of a renewed search for God amid cultural uncertainty. Looking ahead to the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Sarah suggested that peace, unity and doctrinal clarity were already emerging as defining priorities. He expressed hope that the new pontificate would help the Church regain “more doctrinal clarity, liturgical depth, inner peace and sense of God”, which would render “a great service to the faithful”.

The Holy Father arrived in Madrid, met the Spanish Royal Family, called for unity and dialogue, visited a Catholic centre serving the homeless, and concluded the day with a youth prayer vigil attended by hundreds of thousands of people Pope Leo XIV arrived in Madrid on Saturday for the first day of his apostolic journey to Spain, a visit that will focus on evangelisation, youth, social outreach and the enduring Christian identity of one of Europe’s most historic Catholic nations. The papal aircraft departed Rome at 8am bound for Madrid, with the Holy Father using the flight to speak with journalists travelling with him. One exchange quickly generated attention beyond the religious press when Elise Ann Allen of Crux asked whether he supported Real Madrid or Barcelona. The Pope responded: “That’s easy… the Pope is for all teams, but Prevost is Real Madrid,” prompting an immediate reaction on social media. The Pope also reflected on signs of renewed religious interest among younger generations when questioned by CNN’s Christopher Lamb. Noting that Puerto Rican music personality Bad Bunny was performing in Madrid on the same evening, Pope Leo acknowledged the competing attractions facing young people in modern society. “If they are confronted with the question: do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the Pope, I think many will see Bad Bunny,” His Holiness said. Yet the Pope suggested that the growing number of young people exploring Christianity pointed to a deeper spiritual search. Speaking about a generation that has often grown up without a strong religious foundation, he said many were beginning to recognise “an emptiness” and “a lack of a sense of meaning”, adding that his visit might help awaken questions they were still struggling to define. The Holy Father touched down at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport at 10.30am, where he was welcomed by Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, His Eminence Cardinal José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Ahead of the arrival, Sánchez had issued a public message welcoming the pontiff to Spain, describing the country as “diverse” and “open” and expressing the hope that the papal visit would help strengthen “dialogue, understanding and hope”. A Vatican press document distributed to journalists covering the trip, a so-called working booklet prepared by the Dicastery for Communication, included a favourable biographical profile of Socialist Prime Minister Sánchez, crediting him with having “revitalised economic growth and social rights in Spain”. Sánchez’s government has supported abortion and euthanasia legislation, and the working document made no mention of either issue. The Holy See Press Office noted that the publication was intended as a journalistic working tool rather than an official Vatican text. From the airport, Pope Leo travelled to Madrid’s Royal Palace for the formal welcome ceremony in the Plaza de la Armería. Military honours were rendered and the national anthems of Spain and Vatican City State were performed before the pontiff proceeded to a private audience with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. He also met Princess Leonor, Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofía, continuing a tradition of cordial relations between the Spanish Crown and the Holy See that stretches back centuries. The first major speech of the journey followed shortly afterwards during a gathering with political authorities, representatives of civil society and members of the diplomatic corps. Addressing those assembled in the Royal Palace, Pope Leo said he had come to Spain “to affirm, encourage and instil a renewed fidelity to the Gospel among believers, as well as a deeper reconciliation and collaboration among the various elements of this nation”. While praising Spain’s commitment to international cooperation, His Holiness also encouraged efforts to strengthen social cohesion within the country. He thanked Spain for its “faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism”, which he said was demonstrated through “an active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples”. The Pope’s remarks repeatedly returned to the themes of dialogue, unity and the common good. His Holiness called on Spaniards “to cultivate dialogue and civic friendship within your own country” and urged political and civic leaders to consider the perspectives of the poor and the young when shaping the future. Referring to tensions that have periodically emerged over questions of regional autonomy and national identity, the Pope encouraged the nation “to harmonise the claims for autonomy and unity”, while also expressing support for European cooperation as a contribution to the wider human family. Pope Leo also used the address to place his visit within the broader context of Spain’s Christian history. Describing the country as “a great country that, for nearly two millennia, has welcomed the Gospel”, he recalled the ancient tradition linking the evangelisation of the Iberian Peninsula to St James the Greater. The reference carried particular significance in a nation whose spiritual heritage remains closely connected to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, one of Christianity’s most important pilgrimage destinations. The Pope noted that the tradition expressed the Spanish Church’s awareness of its continuity with the apostolic mission entrusted to the first disciples of Christ. After the official ceremonies and meetings in the centre of Madrid, the focus of the papal visit shifted towards the Church’s charitable mission. In the early evening, the Holy Father travelled to the CEDIA 24 Horas centre operated by Cáritas Madrid, a facility dedicated to serving people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion. The centre provides round-the-clock assistance and supported more than 2,500 people during the previous year while receiving dozens of visitors every day. Before arriving at CEDIA, Pope Leo spent time with a group of around 40 people affected by disability and illness. He was then welcomed at the centre by Cardinal José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid, together with staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of the project. During the visit, he listened to testimonies from Niurka, a woman originally from Cuba, Khadri, a migrant from Senegal, and Alicia, a volunteer representing the many people involved in the Church’s charitable outreach. Each offered a personal account of hardship, support and renewal before presenting symbolic gifts to the Pope. Responding to the testimonies, Pope Leo spoke warmly of the welcome he had received since arriving in Spain. Referring to a phrase used by Cardinal Cobo, he noted that “Anyone who is in Madrid is from Madrid” before adding: “And so I, too, am here among you as another Madrilenian.” Thanking those present for making him feel part of “a large and wonderful family”, he described the centre as a concrete example of Christian fraternity in action. “In this home, no one remains alone,” he said. “Here, each person’s joy and sorrow are the joy and sorrow of all.” The Pope said the work carried out at CEDIA reflected Christ’s own identification with the poor, vulnerable and forgotten. Referring to a song performed during the gathering, he highlighted the words, “In every dream I sought you, and none was in vain”, suggesting that they captured both the experiences shared during the visit and the spirit that sustained the centre’s daily mission of service. The final event of the Pope’s first day in Spain drew vast crowds to Madrid’s Plaza de Lima, where hundreds of thousands of young people gathered for an evening prayer vigil described by organisers as a festival of faith. Following introductory remarks by Cardinal Cobo on the challenges facing young people in contemporary society, the Pope answered a series of questions posed by youth representatives. Asked about the figures who had most influenced his faith, he cited St John Chrysostom, St Thomas of Villanova and St Turibius of Mogrovejo, praising their commitment to truth, charity and justice. He also reflected on his years as a missionary in Peru, recalling how encounters with communities facing hardship had deepened both his faith and his understanding of the Gospel. Throughout the encounter, Pope Leo encouraged young Catholics to cultivate prayer, silence and discernment in a noisy and distracted age. He urged them to seek God’s voice with sincerity, remain committed to truth and recognise that both marriage and religious life represent authentic Christian vocations. The vigil concluded with Eucharistic adoration, bringing to an end a demanding opening day that saw Pope Leo move from the ceremonial grandeur of state occasions to encounters with the poor, the sick and the young. (Photo credit: : J.J. Guillén/EFE)

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Spain for his first apostolic to the country. Our photo gallery captures the Holy Father’s arrival in Madrid, his meeting with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, the official welcome at the Royal Palace, and the opening moments of a visit focused on evangelisation, youth and the Church’s charitable mission Pope Leo XIV arrived in Madrid on Saturday to begin his first apostolic journey to Spain, a visit centred on evangelisation, youth and the Church’s charitable mission. During a packed opening day, the Pope met King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the Royal Palace, addressed political leaders and diplomats, visited a Cáritas centre serving people experiencing homelessness, and concluded the day before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of young people gathered for a prayer vigil in Plaza de Lima. Pope Leo XIV arrives at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport to begin his first apostolic journey to Spain, which will last until 12 June. The Holy Father is greeted by Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. At Madrid airport, the Pope is also greeted by the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. Sánchez’s government has been responsible for some of the most aggressively secular and anti-Catholic laws the country has ever experienced, notably limiting religious education in Catholic schools and introducing assisted suicide. Pope Leo XIV arrives for a welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace of Madrid, where both the Spanish national anthem and the Pontifical Hymn are performed .(Photo credit: EFE/J.J. Guillén POOL) The Holy Father meets His Majesty King Felipe VI, Her Majesty Queen Letizia, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias, and Her Royal Highness Infanta Sofía in the Gasparini Room of the Royal Palace of Madrid. Queen Letizia exercises the traditional privilège du blanc by wearing white in the Pope’s presence .(Photo credit: EFE/Ballesteros POOL) In the Hall of Columns, both the King and the Holy Father address the Diplomatic Corps. Pope Leo tells those gathered: “I come among you to confirm, encourage and inspire a renewed fidelity of believers to the Gospel, as well as a deeper reconciliation and cooperation between the various forces of this nation” Pope Leo arrives at the CEDIA 24-Hour Centre of Caritas Madrid, a project providing comprehensive care for people experiencing homelessness and social exclusion. (Photo credit: J.J. Guillén/EFE) Pope Leo, accompanied by his personal secretary, Monsignor Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga, listens to music performed by Niña Pastori, one of Spain’s most famous flamenco singers. (Photo credit: J.J. Guillén/EFE) Pope Leo shares a private word with His Eminence Cardinal José Cobo Cano, Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid. (Photo credit: J.J. Guillén/EFE) The Holy Father speaks to service users of Cáritas Madrid’s 24-Hour Emergency and Comprehensive Care Centre. The centre specialises in assisting people experiencing homelessness. On average, 82 people visit the day centre each day. In 2025, the centre assisted 2,562 people. (Photo credit: J.J. Guillén/EFE) Young people gather for a prayer vigil in Lima Square. Described as a “festival of faith”, the vigil includes music, the Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration. (Photo credit: Gabriel Gonzalez-Andrío) Spanish bishops wait for the Pope to arrive in Lima square. (Photo credit: Marcos Nogales) Pope Leo is welcomed at the vigil by some 600,000 young people. A recent survey found that 45 per cent of Spaniards aged 15 to 29 identify as Catholic today, compared with 31.6 per cent in 2020. (Photo credit: Luismagan) Pope Leo is welcomed at the vigil by some 600,000 young people. A recent survey found that 45 per cent of Spaniards aged 15 to 29 identify as Catholic today, compared with 31.6 per cent in 2020. (Photo credit: Luismagan) The Holy Father leads the crowd in Eucharistic Adoration, bringing the first day of his apostolic journey to Spain to a close. On Sunday, he will celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi in Cibeles Square in central Madrid. (Photo credit: J.J. Guillén/EFE)