On Monday, June 8, the third day of his apostolic journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV met with six victims of abuse committed “by members of the clergy and the Church” in the country.

The Holy See Press Office confirmed the meeting, noting that it took place in the afternoon at the apostolic nunciature in Madrid.

The victims, the Vatican stated, were “accompanied by Church personnel engaged in supporting and accompanying victims.”

The meeting lasted nearly an hour, during which the victims shared their “painful personal experiences” with the Holy Father, and each person presented him with “proposals to make the Church’s response to such tragic cases more effective.”

The pope, the Holy See Press Office noted, “listened with affection and attention and assured them of his closeness” as well as that of “the entire ecclesial community.”

In addition, he pledged his commitment to ensuring that the proposals offered by the victims “serve as a foundation for future efforts, so that the Church may truly be a safe and spiritually healthy place where [those wounded] can find comfort and healing.”

A call to address the ‘scourge’ of abuse

Shortly before meeting with victims, during his encounter with the Spanish bishops, the Holy Father urged them to respond to the “scourge” of abuse in the Church “with listening, truth, justice, reparation, and an ever-more-determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care.”

“Every wounded person must be able to find sincere listening, welcome, protection, and real paths to healing,” Pope Leo said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV’s lunch with Spain’s bishops at the apostolic nunciature in Madrid offered a glimpse of the pope’s more informal and humorous side.

Yago de la Cierva, who is overseeing the organization of the pope’s trip to Spain, said Leo broke the ice before blessing the meal with a comment that drew laughter from those present.

“He said that before leaving for the trip, he had contacted artificial intelligence to ask: What should the pope say to the Spanish bishops? And artificial intelligence told him: Pope Francis would say ... So he stopped it and said: ‘I think there is another pope.’ And then artificial intelligence said: ‘Ah, that’s right, now it’s Pope Leo,’” de la Cierva recounted with a smile.

Leo XIV was elected the successor of Peter on May 8, 2025, though artificial intelligence has at times appeared slow to register the change. National Catholic Register journalist Jonah McKeown saw this firsthand when, like many users, he asked ChatGPT, OpenAI’s widely used artificial intelligence tool, about Pope Leo XIV.

“There seems to be some confusion with the name, since there has never been a Pope Leo XIV. However, there have been several popes named Leo throughout history,” the chatbot responded in one test.

After the joke, the pope — who is no technophobe and has repeatedly encouraged the proper use of artificial intelligence, including in his May 25 encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on the human person in the age of AI — turned to a technological image to deliver a deeper message to the bishops.

“Then he told the bishops that we have another algorithm, and that other algorithm leads us to love people, to accompany them, and to become servants of the word,” de la Cierva said.

Shortly after addressing Spain’s Parliament in the Congress of Deputies, Pope Leo XIV met with the country’s bishops at the headquarters of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, where he called on the Church, “in this time of increasingly drastic polarizations and oppositions,” to offer “a witness to unity in diversity.”

That communion, the pope said, comes from the awareness that the Church walks with the Lord, “as members of one body.” He added that such communion also has “missionary vitality.”

“A Church that is interiorly at peace can speak more freely to brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations and other religions, to those who do not believe, to civil authorities, and to all people of goodwill who work for the common good,” Leo said.

The pope told the Spanish bishops that their ministry carries a particular responsibility in this work of communion.

“We are called to be a visible sign of communion,” he said, first with Christ, then with “the successor of Peter and with the universal Church,” as well as with priests, diocesan communities, consecrated life, movements, associations, and every authentic charism given by the Holy Spirit for the common good.

“Your mission calls you to safeguard unity, foster dialogue, heal divisions, and accompany the journey of the people entrusted to your care,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

MADRID — Pope Leo XIV made history Monday by becoming the first pope to address Spain’s Congress of Deputies, delivering a forceful appeal to the country’s political class to defend human dignity and protect life “from conception to its natural end.”

The June 8 address, given before about 700 guests amid tight security, drew a standing ovation that lasted nearly seven minutes, with shouts of “Long live the pope!” echoing through the chamber.

In his speech, Pope Leo warned lawmakers not to subordinate human dignity to “shifting social consensus or the whims of the majority at any given moment,” insisting that “every truly just society is built upon the recognition of the inviolable dignity of the human person.”

“In this sense, if life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, what future can our societies have?” the pope asked. “Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?”

“The defense of human life is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest: it is a goal of civilization,” he said.

The pope’s remarks came as Spain’s socialist-led government has been advancing efforts to enshrine abortion protections in the country’s Constitution. Such a reform would require broad parliamentary consensus, including support from the center-right People’s Party.

“Every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence,” Pope Leo said. “When this certainty is obscured, the most vulnerable are the first victims, and the law loses its deepest meaning: to serve and protect every person.”

“For this reason,” he added, “the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile.”

The pope also defended the family as “the primary human reality and the natural foundation of the community,” saying that “where the family is upheld, the spiritual and social stability of nations is also strengthened.”

“The family will always be the first school of humanity, where one learns, before anywhere else, the basic grammar of living together: welcoming life, caring for others, forgiving, serving and belonging,” he said.

Pope Leo drew on Spain’s intellectual and Catholic heritage, citing Cervantes, St. Teresa of Ávila, Miguel de Unamuno and the School of Salamanca, especially the 16th-century Dominican friar Francisco de Vitoria.

From that tradition, he said, Spain helped shape “a legal and moral consciousness capable of remembering that authority always entails responsibility and that every human being must be recognized as a subject of rights and duties.”

The pope said that legacy remains alive whenever lawmakers ask “how to ensure that what is possible is just, that what is legal is truly humane, and that the will of the majority safeguards those goods that belong to all and respects that which no majority can legitimately violate.”

He also cited his recent encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas,” published May 25, saying that in an age of artificial intelligence, biotechnology and rapid technological change, political discernment must focus on “the place of the human person in our decision making.”

The pope devoted part of his address to migrants and refugees, a major theme of his trip to Spain, which will conclude with visits to Tenerife and Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, a key entry point to Europe for migrants.

“The situation of migrants and refugees calls for a response that focuses on people, addresses the root causes that force them to leave, and goes beyond the mere management of migration flows,” he said.

He called for “safe and legal pathways, a respectful welcome and real opportunities for integration,” while also promoting “the right to remain in one’s own land,” so that no one is forced to leave home because of war, insecurity, poverty or the effects of the climate crisis.

Pope Leo also warned that many migrants remain “prey to traffickers and smugglers who take advantage of their desperation,” calling for stronger prevention, rescue and assistance efforts.

“No nation can face a challenge of this magnitude on its own,” he said.

Turning to global conflict, Pope Leo said the world is undergoing “a profound spiritual and cultural crisis” marked by violence, polarization and mistrust.

“Every war constitutes, ultimately, a painful defeat of the capacity to negotiate and also of that common human consciousness that recognizes bonds of justice among nations,” he said.

“Weapons may impose a temporary silence; but they can never build a genuine and lasting peace,” the pope said, warning that “in various parts of the world — and in Europe as well — rearmament is once again being presented as an almost inevitable response to the fragility of the international situation.”

The pope also warned against the use of artificial intelligence in warfare, saying new technologies in the military sphere require “rigorous ethical oversight, so that decisions regarding life and death are never left to automated systems nor removed from the moral responsibility of the human person.”

Addressing Spain’s polarized political climate, the pope urged lawmakers to resist contempt for political opponents.

“Political pluralism should not degenerate into the constant disparagement of one’s adversary,” he said. “In a mature society, even conflict can become a path to peace, when differences are softened by listening and directed toward recognizing the needs, aspirations and capabilities of all.”

“Firmness does not require contempt; disagreement does not entail humiliation,” he added.

Only two left-wing parties, Podemos and the BNG, which together account for six lawmakers out of more than 600 parliamentarians, chose not to attend the pope’s address.

Pope Leo also made a strong appeal for religious freedom, calling freedom of thought, conscience and religion “a fundamental right that protects the most intimate sphere of the person.”

“The freedom upon which the contemporary state is built, if it is authentic, recognizes the religious dimension of the human person, respects it and protects it legally,” he said. Authentic freedom, the pope added, “ensures that faith is not a reason for which a person has to forfeit his or her contribution to society.”

“Faith does not seek to impose itself through privileges or coercion; yet neither can it be silenced as if it were irrelevant to public life,” he said.

The pope also defended the sacramental seal of confession, saying it “holds special importance for the Catholic Church” and forms part of the broader sphere of religious freedom.

“To protect it legally, as is done in a similar way in some professions, means preserving a sacred space of inner freedom, where the believer can open his or her soul to God without fear of external pressures,” Pope Leo said.

The remarks came shortly after French bishops criticized a June 1 proposal in France’s National Assembly that they said could have endangered the seal of confession. The proposal was later withdrawn.

Near the end of his address, the pope invited Spanish lawmakers to “lift your gaze to the world around you,” not to escape reality, but to remember that every public decision “affects real people, especially those who have less power to make their voices heard.”

“A law does not attain its true greatness merely by having been formally enacted,” he said. “It attains it when, in addition to being valid in form, it can stand before the dignity of the person and pass that test without shame.”

The pope concluded with a blessing for Spain, praying that the nation “never lose sight of its roots nor the courage to look to the future.”

“May Spain continue to be a land of encounter, of culture, of solidarity and of hope,” he said. “And may its public life always know how to unite the firmness of convictions with the nobility of dialogue and the greatness of service.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

MADRID — This cityʼs Movistar Arena became a kind of modern “Court of the Gentiles” on Sunday, where faith and contemporary art met to explore the mystery of the human person under the guidance of Pope Leo XIV.

The gathering brought together leading figures from Spanish culture with an international profile, including actor Antonio Banderas. Sports were represented by legendary badminton player Carolina Marín, a three-time world champion, while academia was represented by José María Coello de Portugal, vice rector for planning, coordination, and institutional relations at the Complutense University of Madrid.

Representatives of labor unions and employers’ organizations also presented the pope with their concerns and challenges, with the aim of working together to build a society oriented toward the common good and capable of overcoming fragmentation and polarization.

Their presence was itself a sign that encounter remains possible even in a divided society.

The historic meeting reflected the theme of the first papal trip to Spain in 15 years — “Lift up your gaze” — and Pope Leo XIV’s call to weave networks among different social actors, showing that beyond legitimate differences there is a firm desire to build strong, cross-sector alliances to face the challenges of the future.

One of the highlights of the event was Banderas’ address, in which he recited a text on the bond between faith and culture.

“I confess that I am a victim of God’s spell,” the actor said, looking directly at the pope.

Banderas, who the previous day had directed the cast of the musical “Godspell” in a special performance during a prayer vigil with young people in Madrid’s Plaza de Lima, also evoked the popular piety of his native Málaga and the Holy Week processions that marked his childhood.

In his remarks, Banderas stressed art’s ability to raise deep questions.

“In a world that at times is overly simplified, art helps us recover the depth and the soul that is trying to be stolen by artificial intelligence,” he said.

Earlier, Cardinal José Cobo, archbishop of Madrid, presented Pope Leo XIV as a reference point in the fight against extremism. Along those lines, the pope made clear that the Church has stood, from its earliest days, on the side of culture and art, fostering the encounter of different sensibilities in a shared search for transcendence.

The Church’s “longing” to remain in dialogue with the contemporary world

“The Church, conscious both of her successes and her failures throughout history, longs to remain in dialogue with the contemporary world,” Pope Leo said.

In his address, the pope invited the world today not to dismiss the Church’s “centuries-old experience,” which he said has always “proposed paths for a dignified life and the common good.” In that context, he recalled St. Paul VI, who before the United Nations noted that, whatever one’s opinion of the Roman Pontiff, his mission is well known.

Pope Leo also cited his encyclical “Magnifica humanitas,” published May 25, 2025, to return to a central question: “What does it mean to be truly human?”

To that question, he offered a clear answer: “The Church shares with humility, but also with firmness, what she has discovered through the experience of faith: that Jesus Christ responds to the great questions about human life and its fullness, already in this world and unto its fulfillment in eternity.”

To face these questions, the pope proposed a form of social dialogue that he compared to the art of weaving networks, based on “encounter, listening, dialogue, and respect.” The approach is not new to his visit to Spain. It was already present in his episcopal coat of arms and has been confirmed since his election as Roman Pontiff — a word meaning “bridge builder” — as one who builds a bridge first with God and then with people, societies, and cultures.

In concrete terms, he explained that “weaving networks” means that “the university does not live with its back turned to the world of work or renounce the truth; that business activity does not see the employee as just another factor in the equation of its interests; that art does not have only the elites as its goal; that sport is not reduced to spectacle or turned into mere business; that technological progress takes into account the elderly, the poor, and those who have no voice.”

In that context, the pope — a mathematician by training — recalled with admiration the great classics of Spanish literature, citing Lope de Vega, St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, and Calderón de la Barca. He also recalled the serenity of the prose of St. Thomas Aquinas, from whom the Church has inherited the beautiful hymns of Corpus Christi, the solemnity celebrated Sunday.

For the pope, weaving networks also means “serving in a disinterested way,” as men and women moved by faith have done throughout the centuries by founding hospitals, schools, and charitable initiatives. He therefore invited participants to ask honestly whether Europe could have forged its identity “without the spiritual imprint that has marked its history.”

“This is not a provocation, but an invitation to consider whether eternity, which broke into time and space through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, can once again be reconciled with everyday life,” he said. “Is it really possible to believe that Europe — which we love so much — would be itself without the imprint of faith? Why fear that eternity might permeate daily life?”

Finally, the pope said Christ restores the common good to its central place as an arbiter that “calms the greed of some and nourishes the hope of others, while desiring to save them all.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Madrid, Spain, June 7, 2026 — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on Spain to renew its historic Eucharistic faith, warning that the country’s centuries-old religious traditions must not become “a museum of the past to be visited” but remain “a school of faith from which to draw even today.”

The pope made the appeal while presiding over Mass, a procession, and Eucharistic blessing for the solemnity of Corpus Christi in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, one of the Spanish capital’s most emblematic sites.

“As I begin my visit to Spain, it is with a heart filled with joy that I preside over this celebration on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi,” the pope said in his homily.

Corpus Christi has deep roots in Spain and throughout the Catholic world. The feast originated after the efforts of St. Juliana of Cornillon, a Belgian religious sister who promoted a liturgical celebration dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. Pope Urban IV confirmed the feast for the universal Church in 1264, and within decades it had reached the Iberian Peninsula. King Alfonso X, known as “the Wise,” took part in a Corpus Christi celebration in Toledo in 1280.

Over the centuries, the tradition became firmly established in Spain, making the country one of the great centers of Eucharistic devotion. During the period of the Council of Trent, when the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist was contested in parts of Europe, Spanish popular piety continued to exalt it through processions, music, art, and public expressions of faith.

In Madrid, Pope Leo said Corpus Christi is “more than just another celebration on the liturgical calendar.”

“It is a way of returning to the heart of the faith to renew our love and fidelity to God,” he said.

“The solemn processions held on this day have for centuries shaped the piety, art, music, architecture and life of the Spanish people,” the pope continued. “Even today, they still express and manifest the spiritual sentiments of this country through the beauty and elegance of the floral carpets, the altars erected in the streets, the carefully crafted monstrances and stands, the hymns and the liturgical vestments.”

The setting itself added a striking backdrop to the celebration. Plaza de Cibeles, crowned by the statue of the Roman goddess in a chariot drawn by lions, is known internationally as the place where Real Madrid celebrates its titles. On Sunday, however, the square’s focus was Christ in the Eucharist.

One participant joked that with Pope Leo XIV in Madrid, the Spanish capital had three lions.

The pope said the Corpus Christi procession is not “an exhibition, a remnant of folklore or a simple display of beauty.”

“It is a profession of faith in the presence of the risen Lord, who is alive and continues to walk among us, who becomes bread to satiate our hunger for life, and visits the recesses of our hearts and history, even those shrouded in darkness,” he said.

The procession route, about 600 meters along Calle de Alcalá, one of Madrid’s central thoroughfares, was adorned with 16 floral carpets — eight on each side — made with more than 30,000 carnations. Numerous faithful joined the pope, including many boys and girls who had recently received their first Communion.

Pope Leo said the procession reveals that Christ “is not confined to the church, but comes out to meet us.”

“Jesus travels the streets, crosses the squares and visits our neighborhoods, dwelling in the settings of our daily lives,” he said. “He is a God who is close to us, who walks with his people, the Lord of history.”

The pope also connected Corpus Christi with charity, noting that the Church in Spain has long associated the solemnity with the Day for Charity.

“The Christ who processes through the streets in the monstrance is the same one who identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who are alone and forsaken,” he said.

“It is not merely a matter of bringing out the monstrance,” Pope Leo emphasized, “but of allowing ourselves to be brought out of our selfishness and indifference, of a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to his invitation to conversion, to change our perspective, and to welcome his presence which transforms us and makes us builders of a new world.”

Among the faithful who took part in the celebration was Sister Maribel, a member of the Monastic Family of Bethlehem, whose community is opening a convent in Huelva.

Speaking with emotion, she summed up her experience to ACI Prensa: “I loved everything. It was extraordinary. I need to read and reread and pray with the Holy Father’s homily. It was very intense. Above all, I leave with the motto ‘Lift up your gaze.’ I don’t know — it is a phrase that encompasses life and every detail.”

The pope said the historical memory of Spain’s Corpus Christi processions “is not confined to wistful nostalgia.”

“Instead, it stands as an invitation in the present moment, in our daily lives, in our relationships, in society, and in the building of the future,” he said.

That, he added, is the task facing Spain today and tomorrow: “to ensure that the religiosity which has shaped and defined this country for centuries is not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today.”

The pope described that school of faith as one that “teaches us to kneel before God and before our neighbor, because no one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother.”

It is also, he said, “a school that teaches us of the gratitude of love that becomes a gift, so that it may flow among us and break the chains of all selfishness.”

From the Eucharist, he continued, Catholics learn “that God is a real presence and that we too are called to be present in the realities and challenges of society, not shying away, but personally committing ourselves to the building of the common good.”

Pope Leo also recalled St. Manuel González García, the Spanish bishop known as “the bishop of the abandoned tabernacle.”

“His life reminds us that the Eucharist should be honored not only during great celebrations or on special occasions, but also through the silent fidelity of those who accompany the Lord with a humble and quiet friendship that is nourished day by day,” the pope said.

The pope also cited St. John of the Cross, recalling that while imprisoned in harsh conditions in Toledo around the time of Corpus Christi in 1578, the Spanish mystic recognized the hidden presence of the Lord even in darkness.

“The Eucharistic Jesus is ‘that eternal spring that is hidden’ — a spring that flows and quenches thirst, yet without blinding, without imposing itself through outward power, without presenting itself in a spectacular way,” the pope said.

Pope Leo closed by urging the faithful to return to Christ in the Eucharist with “sincere love.”

“Let us open ourselves to the encounter with him, let us allow him to quench the thirst of our hearts, so that we may then go forth into the paths of life and history, bringing to the people this stream of fresh water, a stream of love, peace, justice and joy,” he said.

“Let us drink anew from this Eucharistic spring, which does not enclose us in private devotion, but sends us out to refresh our brothers and sisters, our families, the poor, the suffering, and those who have lost hope,” the pope said. “Eucharistic grace transforms us and makes us protagonists of the transformation of history, a sign of hope for those we meet.”

“May the Lord Jesus, present in the Eucharist, transform you into bread that is broken, given, and offered,” he concluded, “so that a life of fullness may spring forth for you, for your families, and for your country.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV launched his six-day trip to Spain on June 6 by meeting with the countryʼs royalty before holding gatherings with civic leaders and huge crowds of young people in the capital city of Madrid.

The Holy Father met with the countryʼs King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia before paying a visit to a social services project in Madrid and then finishing the day with a massive gathering of hundreds of thousands of young Spanish citizens in the cityʼs Plaza de Lima.

See photos of Pope Leo XIVʼs first day in Spain below.

Pope Leo XIV waves as he prepares to board an ITA Airways flight to Spain on June 6, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard the papal plane from Rome to Madrid on June 6, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV disembarks from an ITA Airways flight from Rome to Madrid, Spain, on June 6, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV is welcomed to Spain by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, in a welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace in Madrid. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV addresses the king and queen of Spain, authorities, and the diplomatic corps at the Royal Palace in Madrid on June 6, 2026, the first day of his apostolic journey to Spain. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV greets a girl in a wheelchair during a meeting with a group of around 40 people with longterm illnesses or disabilities on June 6, 2026, at the nunciature in Madrid, Spain. | Credit: Vatican Media. Pope Leo XIV hugs a boy during a meeting with a group of around 40 people with longterm illnesses or disabilities on June 6, 2026, at the nunciature in Madrid, Spain. | Credit: Vatican Media. Pope Leo XIV meets with a group of around 40 people with longterm illnesses or disabilities who are cared for by charities in the Archdiocese of Madrid on June 6, 2026, at the nunciature in Madrid, Spain. | Credit: Vatican Media. Pope Leo XIV meets staff and beneficiaries, including migrants, of the CEDIA 24 Horas center, part of the Caritas of the Archdiocese of Madrid in Spain on June 6, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets staff and beneficiaries, including migrants, of the CEDIA 24 Horas center, part of the Caritas of the Archdiocese of Madrid in Spain on June 6, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV meets a woman from Cuba and her twin babies during an encounter with staff and beneficiaries, including migrants, of the CEDIA 24 Horas center, part of the Caritas of the Archdiocese of Madrid in Spain on June 6, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV greets young people at Madridʼs Plaza de Lima, June 6, 2026. The Holy Father began his six-day apostolic visit to Spain meeting with the countryʼs royalty and civil leaders along with hundreds of thousands of youth. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News Pope Leo XIV speaks with young people at Madridʼs Plaza de Lima, June 6, 2026. The Holy Father began his six-day apostolic visit to Spain meeting with the countryʼs royalty and civil leaders along with hundreds of thousands of youth. | Credit: Vatican Media Pope Leo XIV looks upon the Blessed Sacrament after a meeting with young people in Madridʼs Plaza de Lima, June 6, 2026. The Holy Father began his six-day apostolic visit to Spain meeting with the countryʼs royalty and civil leaders along with hundreds of thousands of youth. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Pope Leo XIV was greeted by a spirit of youthful eagerness in Madridʼs Plaza de Lima on the evening of June 6, with many youth crying with emotion and others chanting: “This is the popeʼs youth!”

The event brought together more than 600,000 young people, according to the authorities.

Pope Leo XIV greets young people at Madridʼs Plaza de Lima, June 6, 2026. The Holy Father began his six-day apostolic visit to Spain meeting with the countryʼs royalty and civil leaders along with hundreds of thousands of youth. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

The pope was especially comfortable in Spanish, a language in which he spoke on several occasions. At one point he told the crowd of hundreds of thousands of youth: “You can change history, do it with love.”

At another time, he unambiguously encouraged young people not to fear vocational commitment: “Never be afraid of having a vocation for priestly life or religious life.”

And he added: “You donʼt have to be afraid to get married and start a family.”

Addressing questions from young people, the pope said at one point: “The disciples of Jesus are always contemporaries, but never prisoners of the passing time. We are free in Christ!"

The pontiff stressed that Christ frees “with his love,” a love that leaves the person “always free in the face of all coercion and deception.”

“We are free from fashions, because we are disciples of the truth; we are open to the future, because we know that death does not await us,” he said.

Likewise, he entrusted young people with a great “mission,” namely: “Be human! Men and women of flesh and blood. Not appearances, but reliable faces. People who seek justice because they are hungry for it, as for the daily bread.”

“You are human as Christ is, the perfect man, the Risen One who shares history with us at all times. Cultivating this commitment, look at the Apostles, the first Christians, inhabitants of a pagan world,” he added.

Before his speech, the Pope heard several testimonies. Among them was that of Niurka, a young 33-year-old Cuban lawyer who arrived in Spain a little over a year ago, pushed by the serious economic and political crisis of her country. “I was very scared. But the Church welcomed me,” he said.

Khadry also spoke of his experience coming from Senegal. He arrived in Spain in 2020 after surviving the dangerous Atlantic route to the Canary Islands. In a gesture full of symbolism, he gave the pope his residence card, reflecting the importance of regularization in starting a new life.

In his remarks, Leo XIV also issued a warning to Christians against the risk of being dragged by currents outside the Gospel.

He pointed out that, frequently, Christians “allow themselves to be infected by attitudes marked by worldly ideologies or by political and economic positions that lead to unfair generalizations and misleading conclusions.”

“The fact that the exercise of charity is despised or ridiculed, as if it were the fixation of some and not the incandescent core of the ecclesial mission, makes me think that it is always necessary to read the Gospel again, so as not to run the risk of replacing it with the worldly mentality,” he concluded.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

An association of women working in the Vatican has welcomed the appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado as the new prefect of the Dicastery for Communication.

“On behalf of the Women in the Vatican Association (DIVA), I would like to extend our warmest wishes to you on your new appointment as prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, entrusted to you by the Holy Father,” wrote association President Margarita Romanelli, who recently retired after working for 31 years at the Vatican in the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Pope Leo XIV named Alvarado, the president and chief operating officer of EWTN News since 2023, as prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication on June 2. The appointment will take effect Nov. 1. She is the first laywoman who is neither consecrated nor a religious sister to hold such a post.

Maria Montserrat Alvarado with Matthew Bunson (center) and Msgr. Roger Landry, at the Vatican on April 24, 2025. | Credit: EWTN News

“Our association is composed, as the name suggests, of lay, religious, and consecrated women who work or have worked in the Holy See, the Roman Curia, and its affiliated institutions,” Romanelli’s statement said.

“Our purpose is to create an increasingly constructive and fruitful network of knowledge, friendship, and solidarity among all members, to promote their professional, human, and spiritual growth.”

“To respond to our vocation as women, our model is Mary, Mother of the Church, who urges us to make the most of all that femininity encompasses and signifies, striving to be witnesses of sisterhood as daughters of the one Father, and looking to the future as women of authentic Christian hope,” the statement continued.

“With renewed wishes for fruitful service, we earnestly invoke the Lord’s blessing upon your ecclesial mission, entrusting you [Alvarado] to the protection and intercession of the Most Holy Virgin.”

There are many women working in the Vatican who collaborate with the association, including many from the communication dicastery.

Alvarado will be 40 when she takes up her post in November. Like the pope, she has connections both to Latin America and the United States: She was born in Mexico City and educated in the U.S.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, an Italian language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

MADRID — Pope Leo XIV told government leaders in Spain on June 6 that he came to the country “to confirm, encourage and inspire a renewed loyalty of believers to the Gospel, as well as a deeper reconciliation and cooperation between the different forces of this Nation.”

The Holy Father landed at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport after which he moved directly to the royal residence. There he was received with honors by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía.

Pope Leo XIV is welcomed to Spain by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, in a welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace in Madrid. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

The pope warned that his message of reconciliation “resonates for some as naive and for others as provocative,” but he said it is “welcomed in those who do not close themselves in prefabricated ideologies, but who open up to the truth.”

“The truth is always greater than us and that is why it surprises us and attracts us to paths of purification and reconciliation, in which dialogue with others — and with the Other with capital letters — becomes fundamental,” he added.

In his speech, the pope cited two great Spanish mystics of the sixteenth century, Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Jesus, both of whom he said are united by their “passion for the divine Mystery.”

He presented them as examples of “mystics with open eyes,” that is, “not alien to history, but, on the contrary, [getting at] the root of the questions, to the heart of reality.”

The pontiff also alluded to contemporary fears caused by “the darkness of reason and the violence of emotions,” and proposed as an antidote the need for men and women capable of “intuiting, in the darkness, the light.”

To illustrate this idea, he evoked the image of the “inner castle” developed by Saint Teresa of Jesus.

Far from proposing an evasive spirituality, the pope stressed that it is not “an intimate flight, but a radical opening” to the totus Alius et semper Novus, a theological expression that refers to the transcendence of God and that “is carried out when we return to ourselves.”

Protecting religious freedom and conscience

“This dimension of the human being is the reason why religious freedom and conscience must be protected,” he said.

He also quoted St. Ignatius of Loyola, who “preferred peace to weapons and saints to the powerful,” and he recalled the work of the School of Translators of Alfonso X the Wise, where specialists from the three religions collaborated in the transmission of classical and medieval knowledge.

He mentioned thinkers such as Averroes (1126-1198) and Maimonides (1138-1204) as examples of the possibility of cooperation between religious traditions for the common good.

“Our era, which apparently is shaken by terrible imbalances and conflicts, cries out in the deepest for peace, for a new knowledge of the human person and his inviolable dignity, for the civilization of love,” he said, alluding to his encyclical Magnifica humanitas, published on May 25.

The pope did not avoid addressing one of the most accentuated features of the current political context in Spain: polarization.

“Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the fire of polarization seems to grow, instead of decreasing; human dignity does not stop being violated,” he lamented.

Aware of the social and political tension, the pontiff urged leaders to “abandon the divisive and polarizing narratives of your social reality and its history, to move from sterile simplifications to the fruitful appreciation of complexity.”

A visit with international implications

Although Leo XIV has already made other trips, this is his first major visit to a major European country. The pope briefly visited the city-state of Monaco in March.

The Holy Fatherʼs visit to Spain — the ninth that a pope has made to the country — transcends the national scope, by constituting a significant step in the pontiffʼs dialogue with the contemporary Western world in which the Catholic Church has a fundamental role.

This was also pointed out by Felipe VI, who took the floor before the pope and underlined his voice as a universal moral beacon, not only for Catholics: “[His voice] is today a source of inspiration for more than 1.4 billion faithful; but it resonates, by its ethical content, far beyond, in all consciences.”

“The Catholic Church is at the service of this thirst of the human heart. Not in an imposing way, but with the evangelical testimony backed by a multitude of martyrs and saints, and today she is willing to put herself at the service of the future of a people who seek reconciliation and peace,” he said.

“Catholic faith is rooted in our country and without it — you well know — our history and our culture would not be understood.”

The pope also had words of recognition towards Spain for its international role: he highlighted “fidelity to international law and multilateralism,” as well as its commitment to peace and solidarity. At the same time, he urged leaders to strengthen internal dialogue, attend to the most vulnerable and “harmonize the demands for autonomy and unity.”

This has not been the first meeting between the Spanish royal family and the pope.

On March 20, Felipe VI and Letizia traveled to Rome, where the monarch was invested in the proto-canon of the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor in a ceremony that highlighted the historical links between the Spanish monarchy and this temple.

Likewise, both the king and queen attended the opening Mass of the pontificate on May 18 of last year.

Follow here for live updates of Pope Leo XIV’s journey to Spain from June 6–12.

Pope Leo XIV will visit Spain from June 6–12, making stops in Madrid, Barcelona, the Canary Islands, and Tenerife. This is the ninth time a pope has visited the country. John Paul II visited Spain five times and Benedict XVI traveled there on three occasions.

During this trip, Pope Leo will take part in 20 official events, with some of the most anticipated moments being a large vigil with young people, an open-air Mass celebrating Corpus Christi, and a procession through the streets of Madrid.

Here are 10 things to know about the Church in Spain, with a special focus on areas the Holy Father will be visiting.

1. Spain is the country that sends out the most missionaries.

Spain currently leads the world in sending Catholic missionaries to other countries and is also one of the top financial supporters of the Pontifical Mission Societies. According to the 2024 report of the mission group, Spain has nearly 10,000 missionaries, about 5,000 of whom are active; more than half are women and most serve in the Americas.

2. Pope John Paul II called Spain “Tierra de María” (“Mary’s land”).

St. John Paul II when he was pope repeatedly referred to Spain as “Mary’s land,” especially during his 1982 and 2003 visits, pointing to the country’s dense network of Marian shrines and devotions. Spain is literally dotted with Marian sanctuaries — from major basilicas to tiny hilltop hermitages — so that almost every region has its own beloved Marian title, feast, and pilgrimage.

3. Itʼs a place of Christian witnesses and martyrs.

The Spanish Civil War left one of the largest “footprints of martyrdom,” according to Spanish historian Monsignor Vicente Carcel Orti, in modern Church history, and it has profoundly shaped Spain’s map of saints and blesseds. During the war and the wider period of persecution, around 6,832 bishops, priests, religious, and nuns were killed for their faith, along with thousands of lay Catholics who risked their lives to protect clergy and religious.

Out of this mass persecution, the Church has gradually recognized a very large number of martyrs: In 2007, the October beatification of 498 martyrs under Benedict XVI was the single-largest beatification ceremony ever held. By the late 2000s, nearly 1,000 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War had been beatified or canonized.

4. Madridʼs cathedral was consecrated by a pope.

One of Madridʼs most important Catholic landmarks is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Almudena, which was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. Such papal consecrations are relatively rare outside Rome, giving the cathedral special significance in Spanish Catholic life. The building remains a focal point for major religious celebrations in the Spanish capital.

Construction of Almudena Cathedral began in 1883 and was not completed until 1993. The century-long project reflects both the enduring importance of Catholicism in Spain and the architectural evolution of the modern era. Today, the cathedral stands across from the Royal Palace of Madrid, symbolizing the historic relationship between church and crown.

5. Madrid’s Marian patroness was “hidden in the walls.”

Madridʼs patron saint is the Virgin of Almudena, whose image is linked to a centuries-old tradition dating back to Spainʼs medieval period. According to tradition, as Moorish forces invaded the region in A.D. 712, the citizens of Madrid secretly hid their beloved statue of the Virgin Mary inside the thick stone walls of the cityʼs fortress, leaving two lit candles beside it. In 1085, after King Alfonso VI reconquered Madrid, the Christians searched for the statue. While processing around the city walls, a section of the wall miraculously crumbled, revealing the statue perfectly preserved with the candles still burning after centuries.

That same venerable image will be processed through the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium during the Holy Father’s meeting with the diocesan community of Madrid on June 8.

6. Spainʼs royal family has strong ties to the Church.

Spainʼs royal family maintains strong ties to the Catholic Church, and one of the most visible examples came in 2004 when then-Prince Felipe married Letizia Ortiz in Madridʼs Almudena Cathedral. The ceremony highlighted the continued role of Catholic traditions in important national events.

7. Barcelonaʼs most famous church is a catechesis in stone.

The Basilica of the Sagrada Família is more than just an architectural masterpiece — it was built to be a tool of evangelization. Its founders envisioned a church that would communicate the Christian faith through art, symbolism, and architecture, making it one of the worldʼs most distinctive expressions of the Catholic faith.

Visitors to the Sagrada Família encounter a visual retelling of Christianityʼs central story. The basilicaʼs major façades depict the Nativity, the Passion, and the glory of Christ — which is dedicated to the glory, ascension, and eternal life of God.

The Sagrada Família has become the tallest church building in the world at 566 feet. Despite its immense scale, the basilica was designed to direct attention toward God rather than human achievement.

The famous basilica was originally designed by Francisco de Paula del Villar in 1882. However, Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí took over the project in 1883 and completely transformed the design into a blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles, overseeing its construction until his death in 1926. After his passing, several other architects have continued his work with the goal of fulfilling his original vision.

Gaudí deliberately planned the Sagrada Família so that it would remain slightly shorter than Barcelonaʼs nearby Montjuïc hill, because he believed no human work should surpass Godʼs creation.

8. The architect of Sagrada Família may one day be a saint.

Antoni Gaudí was known for his intense personal faith and devotion to the building of the Sagrada Família. The Vatican announced April 14, 2025, that Pope Francis had formally recognized Gaudí’s “heroic virtue,” a key step in the canonization process. Two miracles attributed to Gaudí’s intercession are now required for his canonization.

9. Tenerifeʼs great Marian shrine is the Canary Islands' most important pilgrimage site.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria in Tenerife is the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the Canary Islands. For generations, it has served as the spiritual heart of the archipelago and remains a major destination for pilgrims and visitors, drawing roughly 2 million visitors a year.

The basilica is dedicated to the patron saint of the Canary Islands — the Virgin of Candelaria. Tradition holds that the image of the Virgin of Candelaria was venerated by the Indigenous Guanche people before Spain completed its conquest of Tenerife. The Virgin of Candelaria is often associated with the tradition of Black Madonnas — dark-skinned images of Mary that are venerated in various parts of the world.

10. The Canary Islands were an early Catholic outpost.

The Canary Islands are divided into two Catholic dioceses: one centered in Las Palmas and the other in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on Tenerife. These were established in the early 15th century, decades before the evangelization of much of the Americas. This made the islands an important frontier of Catholic expansion during a pivotal period in world history.

Because of their strategic location in the Atlantic, the Canary Islands became a key stopping point for explorers, missionaries, and settlers traveling between Europe and the Americas. As a result, the islands played a notable role in the spread of Catholicism across the New World.

Pope Leo XIV received members of German Catholic student associations at the Vatican on June 5, reminding them that they “represent Catholic values in society not as those who carry partisan flags but as representatives of the common good of humanity.”

In his address in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Holy Father also highlighted the principles guiding the associations — of which Pope Benedict XVI was also a member — religion, scholarship, friendship, and homeland.

The Catholic faith has never been a label

In his speech, the pope stressed that “in the face of the despotism and ideologies of the past, the Catholic faith has never been merely a veneer or a label but rather a way of life to be shared in university and in work settings.”

He added that the association’s communal dimension benefits not only Germany but also all of Europe. For this reason, Leo XIV encouraged students to devote particular attention to study and to promote “our common humanity,” especially in light of the challenges posed by the technological revolution.

He underscored that the human person is “always relational and limited, and therefore called to become a task for oneself and a gift to the other.”

“Just like the exercise of reason, so too does the light of faith illumine the promises and deceptions of the present time, calling on each person to do their best to help build a just and peaceful society,” he continued.

Addressing the associations' members, he reminded them that by following Christ they represent “Catholic values in society not as those who carry partisan flags but as representatives of the common good of humanity.”

In this way, he reiterated that “the same Catholic faith strengthens our cooperation, without compromising with the trends of the moment, without placing individualistic preferences ahead of the common tradition of the Church.”

He also encouraged them to promote the evangelization of culture, recalling that “the search for truth is a good worth desiring and passing on.”

‘Truth sets us free’

The pope also praised self-discipline and conversion, noting that “by doing our very best, we become responsible stewards in society without being seduced by careers focused on money.”

“Let us rather recognize that culture is the good of humanity: truth sets us free, while falsehood distorts names and things,” he warned.

The Holy Father urged the German students to be “witnesses to Christian humanism” and reiterated that “the world is full of meaning and not an inert entity to be shaped arbitrarily or by the thirst for power.”

“We, in fact, are not random aggregates of particles but bodies open to transcendence: by directing our thirst for life and justice, for wisdom and love, we discover together the truth in knowing, doing, and believing,” he explained.

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV recalled that the cultural mission of Christians “is to direct society and history toward this pinnacle of a God-centered life.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, will lead a meeting in Sanremo on Oct. 9 dedicated to the theme “Interreligious Dialogue Today in the Social and Cultural Context of Our Diocese.”

The event is part of a broader diocesan initiative launched by Bishop Antonio Suetta, who published a pastoral letter on Pentecost Sunday outlining guidelines for charity, dialogue, and the proclamation of God’s love to Muslims “who live in our territory,” according to the diocesan website.

The pastoral letter, titled “No One Has Greater Love Than This,” takes its inspiration from two significant anniversaries: the special Year of St. Francis, proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV for the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death, and the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council declaration Nostra Aetate.

Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-San Remo, Italy. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo

In the document, Suetta emphasizes esteem, welcome, and missionary courage. He recalls the example of St. Francis of Assisi and his historic 1219 encounter with the sultan of Egypt, presenting evangelization first as a witness offered through deeds and the coherence of Christian life, and only afterward through words.

The letter also stresses dialogue and collaboration, beginning from the teaching of Nostra Aetate and the recognition that Christians and Muslims are creatures of the one God. This shared foundation, the bishop writes, calls believers to work together in defense of human dignity and moral values in an increasingly secularized society.

At the same time, Suetta underlines what he describes as the Christian duty of proclamation. Charity and welcome, he writes, must never lead Christians to conceal their spiritual identity. To share the joy of the Gospel and to make known the true face of Jesus Christ — who for Christians is “the way, the truth, and the life” and the revelation of God who is love — is presented in the letter as the highest act of charity Christians can offer.

The pastoral initiative includes concrete proposals, such as specific formation programs and opportunities for encounter promoted by the diocesan Office for Catechetical Pastoral Ministry in collaboration with Caritas.

“Welcoming others with selfless charity, bearing witness to a coherent Christian life, and proclaiming the love of God in Jesus Christ with freedom and sincere respect are the human means that the Lord asks of us in order to evangelize,” the letter states.

The events will take place during the Church’s missionary month of October. In addition to the Oct. 9 meeting in Sanremo with Cardinal Koovakad, the diocese will hold a missionary vigil on Oct. 17 at the Oratory of the Immaculate in Piazza San Siro.

The presence of the prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue is seen as a sign of support from the Holy See for the diocesan initiative.

Several working sessions and four themes ranging from war to synodality are planned for the next consistory convened by Pope Leo XIV.

From reflection on the international situation to a possible “updating” of the doctrine of just war, to discussion of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to the steps of the synodal process, the cardinals are called upon for broad discussions in multiple sessions. The plans were reported Thursday by Vatican News.

The themes were outlined by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, in a letter sent to all cardinals on June 3. The extraordinary consistory, the second convoked by Leo XIV, will be held June 26-27.

Cardinal Re emphasized in the letter — which EWTN News has seen in the original — that the consistory “is intended, above all, to be a space for mutual listening, discernment, and shared exploration of certain issues relevant to the life and mission of the Church in the present time.”

The pope “wishes to gather the experience and advice of the members of the College of Cardinals and, at the same time, to be able to count on the active help and support of each in the various places and responsibilities in which they serve the Church.”

Cardinal Re wrote that “it will be important for our joint work to take place in a climate of listening, freedom, and parrhesia, so as to foster shared discernment on the issues we will be called upon to address.”

Cardinal Re described the first session as “a shared meditation starting from the international situation.” He emphasized that “in a climate of prayer, we will be invited to let emerge, before the Lord, what we are experiencing in different parts of the world and in the local Churches.”

Two questions will guide the reflection: “What sufferings, tensions, and questions are most pressingly affecting the peoples and ecclesial communities entrusted to your care today? What signs of hope, of fidelity to the Gospel, and of possible reconciliation do you think it is important to bring to common listening?”

The encyclical Magnifica Humanitas will be the focus of the second and third working sessions. In particular, in the second session, the cardinals will be called to reflect on chapter five of the encyclical and to discuss the themes of peace as a “condition for the universal common good” (No. 182 of Magnifica Humanitas).

Cardinals will be asked to “become aware of how this reality painfully affects the experience of many of you, particularly those who come from war-torn territories, and at the same time challenges other contexts, where languages, logics, and practices are re-emerging that weaken the possibility of reconciliation and coexistence.”

A particular focus will be on the concept of just war, and on “what concrete ways can help Christian peoples and communities preserve and build peace.”

The third session will ask the cardinals to deepen the encyclicalʼs invitation to read the transformations of our time in the light of the Gospel, as called for by Magnifica Humanitas.

A fourth session will be divided into two parts: an update on the Synodʼs implementation process and then a period of “free dialogue between the members of the College and the Holy Father, with three-minute interventions.”

Cardinal Re hopes for “adequate preparation for the meeting, not only through careful consideration of the issues to be addressed, but also and above all through prayer and renewed attention to the life of the Churches entrusted to his pastoral care.”

The consistory will conclude with Mass on June 29, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, when the pope will impose the Pallia on the new metropolitan archbishops.

During the Jubilee of Youth, held in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3, 2025, unforgettable scenes filled the Eternal City: young pilgrims singing hymns with guitars, praying quietly near the fountains, and recording videos to share their faith on social media.

Among the thousands of young people who passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica was Ignacio Gonzálvez, a 15-year-old Spaniard. But during the pilgrimage, he began to experience intense chest pain. He was rushed to Bambino Gesù Hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with lymphoblastic lymphoma and a large mass in his chest.

His family traveled to Rome with heavy hearts. The first 12 days were critical: Ignacio’s heart was exhausted, and at any moment he could suffer cardiac arrest. Twenty-four hours after doctors removed his life support, a serious complication arose — an injury to the femoral artery and a blood clot.

Ignacio Gonzálvez and his family at the hospital. | Credit: Carmen Gloria González

“They were the most difficult months of my life and at the same time the most beautiful, because it was the moment when I came closest to God while being on the cross,” Ignacio, now recovered, told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Ignacio was able to personally share the news of his recovery with Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday, May 12, at the entrance to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.

“I gave him the good news that I had been cured and that I was waiting for him in Madrid, since I was returning to Spain just a few days after that meeting,” he said, joyful at the prospect of the pope’s upcoming visit to Spain.

Throughout the ordeal, the Holy Father remained close to Ignacio’s family, whose lives changed completely after the diagnosis.

A few days after Ignacio was admitted to the hospital, Pope Leo XIV arrived unexpectedly in his hospital room, where Ignacio’s parents were praying tirelessly at his bedside. Ignacio was sedated and intubated at the time and was not aware of the visit. Even so, the pope wanted to be close to him and his family in what would become the first of three meetings between them.

The pope remained with the family for about half an hour before visiting other patients in the oncology ward. He prayed the Hail Mary and the Our Father with them, gave each person his blessing, and spoke about the Gospel, eternal life, and the will of God.

“We are made for heaven,” he told them.

Ignacio spent nine months in the hospital. During that time, he came close to death twice.

The pope’s closeness became a source of consolation for the family. It helped them breathe, look toward heaven, and entrust themselves to God. When Pope Leo XIV learned that Ignacio had been discharged, he made room in his schedule to receive the family at the Vatican.

Ignacio went there April 29 with his parents, Pedro Pablo and Carmen Gloria; his sister, Adela; and a family friend.

Pope Leo XIV meets with Ignacio Gonzálvez at the Vatican on April 29, 2026. | Credit: Carmen Gloria Gonzalez

During the meeting, the pope asked about Ignacio’s medical situation. Shortly afterward, he went into another room with the young man for a private conversation. Ignacio himself had asked for that moment of intimacy, and the pope immediately agreed.

Throughout this path of suffering, the family said they felt sustained by prayer and by the many people who hoped for Ignacio’s recovery: young people praying with the pope, the Neocatechumenal communities to which the family belongs, convents, relatives, friends, believers, and nonbelievers alike.

“Faith helped me live this illness in a different way, for example by offering my sufferings for something or for someone,” Ignacio said. “Praying with my mother and father when I was in the hospital also helped me a lot — not only in prayer but also in not feeling alone, because I knew many people were praying for me.”

Ignacio said he experienced God’s love every day.

“I felt God close — more than close — in every detail and in every gift that I know came from him, and he also gave me the strength to fight this illness,” he said. “I was able to see him in myself and also in my mother.”

Almost a year has passed since the nightmare of Ignacio’s hospitalization and the pope’s first visit. Today, that chapter is behind him. The present is healing; the future is a reunion with the pope.

That reunion will take place during Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming apostolic visit to Spain. In Madrid, the Holy Father is expected to meet with the most vulnerable and with young people, celebrate Mass, encounter the local Church, and venerate Our Lady of Almudena.

And once again, he will meet Ignacio.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.

Catholic universities should reflect “authenticity as true disciples of Christ” as they guide students’ desire for knowledge into a passion for the truth, Pope Leo XIV told university presidents from the United States on Wednesday.

“As young men and women come to your colleges and universities looking to study a specific degree, oftentimes motivated by future job perspectives, yours is the noble task of guiding that desire for knowledge so that they may also ‘learn to seek and love the truth, to reflect on the meaning of life, and to recognize the dignity of every person,’” the pope said June 3, quoting from his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published in May.

Instilling a love for the truth “is not an easy feat,” he continued. “As you are well aware, seeking the truth requires not only learning and mentorship but also great effort. Unless Catholic education instills in students a true passion for the truth — and not only intellectual truth, but the truth that is Christ himself (cf. John 14:6) — we can hardly expect people to be willing to put forth the effort required to recognize truth and adapt one’s life accordingly.”

Leo addressed presidents, senior administrators, and faculty leaders from Catholic institutions of higher education belonging to the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

During the Rome Seminar, June 1–5, university leaders are meeting with senior Vatican officials and others to reflect on the opportunities and challenges faced by higher education today.

In his speech, the pope acknowledged the challenge of “the increasing fragmentation of knowledge.”

“While it is easy to find people who are experts in a particular field of study, many of these individuals ‘struggle to find direction in their lives, partly due to an inability to connect information with deeper knowledge or maintain a sense of purpose,’” he said, quoting from Magnifica Humanitas.

Specialized experts “often lack a global vision of reality that is capable of uniting not only the various fields of knowledge but also the multiple aspects of life and the inner longings of the human heart,” he said.

He invited Catholic educational institutions to be a “living environment in which the Christian vision permeates every discipline and every interaction,” as Leo wrote in his 2025 apostolic letter Drawing New Maps of Hope.

“Your authenticity as true disciples of Christ,” he said, “will certainly assist you in transmitting the living Gospel in such a way that those entrusted to you can truly encounter the Lord and discover in the Catholic faith the unifying vision that truth alone can provide.”

On the challenges of technological advances, the pope reflected on the prolific use of artificial intelligence, making it “increasingly difficult to evaluate the work of students, requiring educators to adapt their methods creatively to ensure the integral human formation of those in their care.”

“We must be willing to invest generously in the education of future generations,” he said. “It is crucial that young men and women learn to engage positively with new technologies, while at the same time truly developing their God-given skills and capacities to reason, to think critically and commit knowledge to memory, thus preparing them to shape responsibly the world to come.”

At the Wednesday general audience at the Vatican on June 3, Pope Leo XIV called Catholics to be open to an “encounter with God by rediscovering the signs and symbols of the sacred liturgy.”

“We need to let ourselves be educated by the rites of the liturgy, tending to the beauty of our celebrations with a delicate hand and without arbitrariness,” Leo said to the faithful.

Liturgy as rite, sign, and symbol

Leoʼs remarks were part of his catechesis on the liturgy, focusing on the Second Vatican Councilʼs document Sacrosanctum Concilium. In his remarks, the pope explained the councilʼs teaching about participation in the liturgy through its signs and symbols.

Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile during the general audience in Saint Peterʼs Square on June 3, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

“In the liturgy, we are invited to participate — body, mind, and heart — and enter into a dimension inhabited by the Holy Spirit. In order to enter into this dimension, the liturgy is woven with signs and symbols that have a performative and transformative dimension,” Leo said.

He also called on Catholics to recall the meaning of the various gestures associated with the liturgy, such as the sign of peace and kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament. He explained that these symbols and signs are not arbitrary gestures, but are important for helping Catholics experience “the presence of God through Jesus Christ.”

“The rites of the Christian liturgy are not an outward covering of the sacramental mystery or a set of arbitrary ceremonies,” Leo said. “Rather, they are the ecclesial mediation through which the divine gift reaches us. Through the sacred rite, we are thus formed in listening to the Word of God, in thanksgiving and adoration, in fraternal sharing, and in ecclesial communion.”

Encouragement for Catholics to join Corpus Christi processions

In an appeal at the end of the general audience, Leo invited Catholics to bear public witness to the mystery of the Eucharist during the upcoming eucharistic processions for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

“The processions with the Blessed Sacrament that take place in the streets of many towns are an expression of popular eucharistic piety; in this regard, I encourage you to keep alive this beautiful manifestation of public witness to the faith,” Leo said.

He also gave a special greeting to priests serving in the Middle East amid continuing armed conflicts in the region.

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of June is for the value of sports.

“In times of war and extreme polarization, sport is one of the few things that bring us closer together,” the pope said in a video released on X on June 2.

He added: “Let us pray this June that sport may be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that it may promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.”

In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord of life,

we thank you for the gift of sport,

for those who glorify God through the exercise of their bodies,

for the friendships born on the field

and the joy of playing as a team.

You teach us that in life, as in the game,

no one is saved alone.

We need others to grow,

to learn respect, to overcome our limits,

and to celebrate together the victories we achieve.

We ask that sport may always be

a school of fraternity, not of empty rivalry,

a space of encounter, not exclusion,

a path of peace, not violence.

May those who play, train, or cheer

discover in sport a universal language

that brings cultures together, unites peoples,

and sows respect, solidarity, and personal growth.

Lord Jesus,

may every sport become a parable of life lived with you,

working with joy and effort,

living with humility in defeat

and with gratitude in the victory you offer in your resurrection.

May your Spirit never be lacking in us,

making us one team, united with you

to build communion and fraternity in history.

Amen.

“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.

Members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service (CHARIS) in the United States have announced the launch of a new, ecumenically-oriented organization, Evangelize America, that aims to reignite the Catholic charismatic renewal from the grassroots.

The initiative was announced May 30 following an audience Pope Leo XIV held with members of CHARIS in which he expressed encouragement for their apostolate.

Deacon Darrell Wentworth, who serves as a deacon in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, and will serve as the inaugural president and CEO of Evangelize America, explained to EWTN News that the charismatic renewal has always been tied to ecumenism.

Deacon Darrell Wentworth, president and CEO of Evangelize America Inc. stands outside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on May 30, 2026. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News

“Our fight is not with flesh and blood. It is not with our Protestant brothers and sisters or Christians of other traditions. Our fight is with the enemy — the powers and principalities causing the divisions,” he observed.

Wentworth described initiatives such as Evangelize America as a response to the call from recent popes to encourage the new evangelization.

“We are responding to John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and specifically Pope Francis, when he told the Catholic fraternity communities to baptize everyone in the Holy Spirit and to devise strategies to bring Christians together,” Wentworth said.

As to the name Evangelize America, Wentworth said it is inspired by John Paul IIʼs apostolic exhortations to the continents of the world. John Paul II wrote Ecclesia in America, Ecclesia in Asia, Ecclesia in Africa, and Ecclesia in Europe.

The strategy of the Twelve

According to Wentworth, Evangelize America will consist of setting up intentional small groups modeled after the Twelve Apostles.

“A group of 12 will consist of a priest, a deacon and his wife, seven lay members taking on the seven tasks that influence culture, one charismatic Catholic focused on pursuing full communion and healing animosity between local Christian denominations, and one Pentecostal,” Wentworth said.

Encouragement from Pope Leo

Leo XIV held an audience at the Vaticanʼs Paul VI Hall with members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal on May 30. This was his first meeting with them since his election as pope, and, like Wentworth, he referred to previous popes in the development of the charismatic movement.

“My venerable predecessors recognized this development as a great gift to the Church,” Leo said in his remarks. “I, too, wish to foster the relationship of mutual respect, closeness, and support between the See of Peter and the great family of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.”

Wentworth praised the popeʼs remarks as confirmation to continue their work.

“It is not a new vision. It is the vision of the Holy Spirit that dates back to the year 33,” Wentworth noted. “Pope Leo shows us that this is what the charismatic movement is all about: help everyone to experience the power of the Holy Spirit and fall in love with God the Father instead of all the material things present in society.”

Carlos Campo, president and CEO of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., stands outside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on May 30, 2026. | Credit: Ishmael Adibuah/EWTN News

Carlos Campo, a Protestant who serves as president and CEO of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., was also part of the U.S. delegation that was present at the audience. He expressed hope that Evangelize America would help mobilize the Catholic Church in the U.S. to proclaim the Gospel in new ways.

“I believe this is something that will change marriages, families, and communities and has the opportunity to change our nation,” Campo said.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication. The appointment will take effect Nov. 1, 2026.

Since 2023, Alvarado has overseen EWTN News’ global and multilingual news operations across television, radio, print, digital, and social media platforms. During her tenure, she helped expand the network’s international news presence and deepen collaboration across its multilingual platforms.

Montserrat Alvarado with Matthew Bunson (center) and Msgr. Roger Landry, at the Vatican on April 24, 2025. | Credit: EWTN News

“Montse’s background in international media, public affairs, and Church engagement has helped shape EWTN’s outreach at a critical moment in the history of our apostolate: the pivot into a deeper engagement with the digital space,” said Michael P. Warsaw, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN. “Just as importantly, she has remained deeply committed to the mission that defines EWTN: proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church with clarity, fidelity, and charity.”

Before joining EWTN, Alvarado spent 14 years in leadership roles at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where she worked extensively on issues related to religious freedom and human dignity.

In a statement released following the appointment, Alvarado said she received the news “with deep gratitude, humility, and trust in the Lord,” adding that the faithful witness of the EWTN family strengthened her faith.

The Dicastery for Communication was established by Pope Francis in 2015 as part of his reform of the Roman Curia, bringing together the Holy See’s various communications entities, including Vatican News, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Media, the Vatican Publishing house and printing press, Filmoteca Vaticana, and the Holy See Press Office. Appointed for a five year term, the Prefect is responsible for overseeing the entire media network of the Holy See.

Alvarado succeeds Paolo Ruffini, whom Pope Francis appointed in 2018 as the first lay prefect of a dicastery in the Roman Curia. Ruffini said he had come to know Alvarado “over the last couple of years” and will work closely with her in the coming months “in the spirit of communion that unites us in the Church.”

In recent years, Pope Francis entrusted a growing number of leadership roles in the Vatican to lay men and women, including several senior appointments for women religious. Alvarado’s appointment continues that development and marks the first time a woman who has not taken religious vows as a nun or a sister has been appointed to lead a dicastery of the Holy See.

Montserrat Alvarado. | Credit: EWTN News

Born in Mexico City, Alvarado earned academic degrees from Florida International University and George Washington University. She has received several national recognitions for her commitment to religious freedom and service to the Church, and her writings and commentary have appeared in a range of international media outlets.

While noting that EWTN would miss Alvarado’s leadership, Warsaw said the network rejoices in her new mission of service to the universal Church.

“We offer her our prayers, our encouragement, and the full support of the EWTN family as she begins this important mission in service to Pope Leo XIV and his pontificate.”