By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Pope Leo XIV has commenced an official visit to Spain where he praised the government’s opposition to wars as well as its support for migrants.
During his seven-day visit, Pope Leo will meet with victims who experienced sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, as well as groups that look after the welfare of migrants.
Speaking on Saturday at a reception with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the royal palace in Madrid, Pope Leo spoke of Spain’s “active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples”.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has clashed with US President Donald Trump over Iran, and with Israel over the war in Gaza and the Pope hailed Spain’s “faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism”.
Immigration is a divisive issue in Spain, and the Pope’s focus on the issue during his tour could be seen as support for the socialist Prime Minister.
He will also deliver an unprecedented address before the Spanish parliament.
The Chicago-born pontiff has himself been harshly criticised by Trump for his anti-war views.
The message of peace, the Pope said in Madrid, “at present unfortunately strikes some as naive and others as confrontational” but should instead be “welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies”.
Speaking to reporters on the plane before landing, the Pope said sexual abuse remained “an open wound” for the Church.
Sanchez’s government and the Catholic Church in Spain signed an agreement in March to compensate victims after years of complaints that religious leaders had failed to tackle the issue adequately.
A 2023 study by the Spanish ombudsman’s office, which investigates public complaints, estimated that 1.1% of the population had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of members of the clergy or individuals linked to the Church – the equivalent of 440,000 people.
The Church has contested these findings.
King Felipe hailed Pope Leo’s “clarity and firmness” on the issue, saying it was “essential in the process of healing and reparation of the damage inflicted”.
