Pope Leo XIV kicks off official visit to Spain
By CNN, June 6, 2026Pope Leo XIV arrives Saturday in Spain, where he is expected to focus on the treatment of migrants and polarisation in politics – themes likely to cement his pontificate as a counterweight to the Trump administration.
The first American pope’s June 6 to 12 trip will see him visit migrant centres, address Spain’s parliament at a time of intense polarisation in the country and make a visit to the iconic Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona. It’s also expected that he’ll meet clerical sexual abuse survivors.
The southern European country is something of a microcosm of the political tensions seen in the United States and beyond.
The pope was formally invited by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has been a vocal opponent of US President Donald Trump’s war in Iran and has pursued a policy of welcoming immigrants. Sánchez also came to the defence of the Chicago-born pontiff after Trump criticised his stance on the war in April, with the left-wing Spanish leader saying that “while some sow wars, Leo XIV sows peace.”
Over recent weeks, the pope has continued to speak out against war, including the use of religious language to justify military conflict. He has also made immigration a priority since his election in May last year.
Leo’s first major theological document, published last month, said that the welcoming of migrants and refugees is a “litmus test” for social justice, and he’s described the treatment of immigrants in the US as “inhuman”.
The pope’s visit to Spain will see him travel to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the northwestern coast of Africa, which has become a major entry point for new arrivals to Europe. While in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, he will meet with immigrants and groups seeking to integrate them into society and pay tribute to those who have died at sea while attempting the treacherous journey to Europe.
The visit comes a few weeks before Leo makes a July 4 trip to Lampedusa. This southern Italian island is a key European gateway for people fleeing their own countries and crossing the Mediterranean.
Speaking ahead of the Spain visit, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said immigration was something that the pope wants to address at “a human level”. The Catholic Church in Spain has a large charitable presence and is involved in helping immigrants.
Spanish political culture
Like the US, Spain has a polarised political culture, and Leo XIV will come face-to-face with that partisanship when he becomes the first pope to address both houses of the Spanish parliament.
Sánchez’s left-wing government is facing difficulties, including corruption scandals, while more conservative voices, such as the nationalist-populist right-wing party Vox, are rising in popularity.
“A government currently facing a period of accelerated political deterioration and besieged by multiple corruption scandals will seek to present itself, alongside the pope, as being on the ‘right side of history’ on issues such as opposition to the war in Iran and its migration policies,” Emilio Sáenz-Francés, professor of history and international relations at the Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, told CNN.
But, he added, “in such a context, any papal message concerning political ethics, public integrity, or corruption could easily rebound against the government rather than reinforce its position.”
Sáenz-Francés says the pope will need to deploy “considerable political intelligence” to navigate the tensions, and the success of the visit will depend on Leo’s ability to “transcend Spain’s deeply polarised environment and speak to broader concerns”.
While Sánchez is aligned with the pope’s views on war and migration, his government has also clashed with the local Catholic Church over abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and with some church voices over memorials to former dictator Gen. Francisco Franco, Spain’s nationalist leader during the country’s civil war.
Pope’s Spanish fluency
But the pope, a fluent Spanish speaker, is no stranger to the country, having visited dozens of times. He is also aware of the political climate.
The pope’s knowledge of Spain is helped by his Spanish ancestry on his mother’s side and the years he worked in Peru, a country to which Catholicism was brought through Spain’s missionaries.
“Pope Leo speaks Spanish so well that nothing will be lost in translation,” Paloma García Ovejero, a former papal spokesperson who is from Madrid and now works as head of media for Catholic charity Mary’s Meals International, told CNN.
“And that’s key when you are talking about some complicated issues: polarisation, immigration, friction between church and state. But he has shown that he’s not afraid to dig into delicate questions.”