Pope Leo draws 1M people in Madrid for open-air mass
Pope Leo drew over 1 million people to an open-air mass in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles on June 7, marking the start of his week-long visit to Spain, the first papal visit in 15 years. The event included a prayer vigil, meetings with religious and cultural leaders, and a planned address to Spain’s politically polarized parliament on Monday.
Pope Leo addressed more than 1 million people in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles on Sunday morning for an open-air mass celebrating Corpus Christi. The crowd, estimated at 1.2 million, overflowed into nearby streets as the Pontiff rode through the gathering before delivering the service. This marks the first papal visit to Spain in 15 years, with Pope Leo arriving on Saturday amid fanfare, including greetings from King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. On Saturday night, Pope Leo spoke to an estimated 500,000–600,000 attendees during a prayer vigil, later engaging younger crowd members with the viral '6-7' hand gesture. His sermon on Sunday emphasized helping 'the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken,' framing religion as 'a school of faith' for daily life. The Pope’s itinerary includes a meeting with members of the Order of St. Augustine and a gathering with Spanish representatives from culture, arts, business, and sports. On Monday, he is scheduled to address Spain’s parliament, where his remarks may touch on the country’s political polarization. Later in the week, Pope Leo will travel to the Canary Islands, a key migration route for those seeking entry to Spain.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.