Camille Naredo

Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives to lead the Holy Mass in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid on June 7, 2026. Pierre-Philippe Marcou, AFP

Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives to lead the Holy Mass in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid on June 7, 2026. Pope Leo XIV is visiting Spain June 6-12 with stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, where he will meet with migrants and organisations dedicated to helping them. (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP)

Article (news)

Pope Leo

MADRID, Spain -- More than 1.2 million people filled the streets of Madrid on Sunday for a mass by Pope Leo XIV at which he called for a renewal of the Catholic faith in Spain.King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia joined throngs of devotees waving Spanish and Vatican flags in Cibeles Square for a service filled with religious symbolism.In his homily, Pope Leo said Spaniards should not look at religion as &quot;a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today&quot;.The mass comes on day two of Pope Leo&#x27;s seven-day visit to Spain, a traditional Catholic bastion where religious observance has been declining sharply in recent years as in much of western Europe.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/6/6/pope-says-church-abuse-still-an-open-wound-as-spain-trip-begins-1900">READ: Pope says Church abuse &#x27;still an open wound&#x27; as Spain trip begins</a></div>A huge logistical and security operation was in place for the event, after which the pope led a traditional procession along a route lined with white and yellow carnations -- the Vatican flag colors.Organizers said there were more than 1.2 million people attending in the square and the surrounding area.Nico Aldeanueva, 28, who was visiting from Philadelphia in the United States, said the pope was &quot;a very unifying force in a moment where we have division across so many different fronts&quot;.&quot;We have, it seems like, never-ending conflict and for the time being here you get to hit pause and get to enjoy the moment and feel the faith.&quot;Ana Milagros, 64, who was waving a Vatican flag, said she thought the US-born pope seemed &quot;approachable&quot; and &quot;very sincere&quot;.&quot;There is a lot of polarization and differences in politics, in social matters, in the economy,&quot; she said, adding: &quot;The pope is trying with this visit... to help all of us.&quot;<div> </div><div>- Focus on migration -<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780837894039AFP__20260607__B69N436__v2__MidRes__TopshotSpainVaticanDiplomacyReligionPope.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives to lead the Holy Mass in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid on June 7, 2026. Pierre-Philippe Marcou, AFP"/>Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives to lead the Holy Mass in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid on June 7, 2026. Pierre-Philippe Marcou, AFP</div>Later on Sunday, Leo will meet the leading lights of culture, sport and the economy at an arena, with the aim of fostering dialogue between faith and modern civil society.Around 56 percent of Spaniards identify as Catholic compared to 90 percent in the 1970s, according to a survey last month by the Centre for Sociological Research, an autonomous government body.On Saturday, 500,000 mostly young attendees congregated with Leo outside Real Madrid&#x27;s Bernabeu stadium for a prayer vigil that stretched into the night.Leo kicked off his visit with pomp and ceremony at a reception in Madrid&#x27;s royal palace, where he called for an end to &quot;polarizing narratives&quot; and &quot;sterile simplifications&quot;.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/6/6/-prevost-is-real-madrid-pope-enters-spanish-football-schism-2145">READ: Pope enters Spanish football schism</a></div>The pope also praised Spain, whose left-wing government has sparred with his native United States as well as Israel over wars in the Middle East, for its &quot;active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples&quot;.Leo is due to visit Barcelona on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he will notably bless the Sagrada Familia basilica&#x27;s recently completed tower, which made it the world&#x27;s tallest church.His trip will end with a focus on migration on Thursday and Friday in the Canary Islands, a key destination for irregular arrivals, with thousands dying in the Atlantic Ocean trying to reach them.

More than 1.2 million people filled the streets of Madrid on Sunday for a mass by Pope Leo XIV at which he called for a renewal of the Catholic faith in Spain.

More than 1.2 million people filled the streets of Madrid on Sunday for a mass by Pope Leo XIV at which he called for a renewal of the Catholic faith in Spain.

Over 1.2 million people attend Pope's mass in Madrid

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Over 1.2 million people attend Pope's mass in Madrid

Dario Thuburn,

Agence France-Presse

Published June 07, 2026 09:29 PM PHT

Read More:

Madrid

Spain

religion

Catholic Church

Pope Leo

King Felipe VI

Queen Letizia

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