Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Open-Air Mass in Madrid Before Large Crowds Amid Anti-War Message and Trump Criticism
Pope Leo XIV held an open-air mass at Plaza de Cibeles on the second day of his visit to Spain. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined more than a million people who lined the streets.
realitytea.comMore than a million people lined the streets of Madrid on Sunday as Pope Leo XIV held an open-air mass at the Plaza de Cibeles, the Vatican said. The service took place on the second day of the pontiff's official visit to Spain. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were among the congregants.
The royal couple had welcomed Pope Leo XIV to the royal palace on Saturday. The Pope waved at crowds from his popemobile as he arrived at the square. People waved flags, shouted "long live the Pope," and some threw petals.
Authorities mounted a major security operation for the mass and the subsequent procession through central Madrid. Large crowds had also gathered the previous day as the Pope began his trip. Approximately 500,000 people, most of them young, attended a prayer vigil near Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium that stretched into the night.
"In the face of the emptiness of indifference and compliance, before the violence of war and lies, you must be the sparks of a new humanity," Pope Leo XIV told those gathered. S. And Israel's war against Iran, and with Israel over the war in Gaza. S.
President Donald Trump has criticized Pope Leo XIV over his anti-war views. Pope Leo XIV is the Chicago-born pope. His trip to Spain is the first by a pope in some 15 years.
The visit will include an address before the Spanish parliament and a meeting with victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV is also scheduled to visit the Canary Islands with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez later in the week to honour thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach Europe.
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