“Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated,” Pope Leo said in his first speech soon after arriving in Spain, a majority Catholic country of 50 million people.
With these words, Leo went to the heart of the polarized situation in Spain today. He highlighted this in his address at the Royal Palace in Madrid, in the presence of King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia, to an audience of some 300 people that included the state authorities, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps.
He was alluding to the fact that political forces, particularly on the extreme right and especially Vox, a national conservative political party in Spain, are increasingly causing division among the people in a country that had already suffered the tragic consequences of a civil war in the 1930s. These forces are strongly opposed to the influx and presence of migrants in the country, many of whom come from Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. Migrants are now estimated to make up ten percent of the population.
Speaking in Spanish, Leo went on to issue a pressing appeal to the state authorities and to the Spanish people to overcome this polarization. “For the love of truth, I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history, so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity,” he said.
The Augustinian pope, who first came here in 1982 and has visited the country many times since, said he sees polarization as “a dark night” in the soul of the nation. He recalled that “for nearly two millennia this great country has welcomed the Gospel,” which, according to tradition, was brought to Spain by the Apostle James. The Christian faith, he said, “profoundly shaped” the culture of this land and “represents a source of hope and direction amid the challenges we must face together as a human family today.” He pointed to how the faith is expressed in popular piety and the country’s artistic and musical heritage, as well as many confraternities and charitable associations. These, he said, “bear witness to the fruitful encounter between Jesus Christ and your people, a passionate people who love life and express it!”
Speaking as the successor of Peter, he told them, “I come among you to affirm, encourage and instill a renewed fidelity to the Gospel among believers, as well as a deeper reconciliation and collaboration among the various elements of this nation.” He reminded them, “your own history suggests that a culture of encounter, not confrontation, is what fosters stability and prosperity.” In reality, he said, “the message of peace, which at present unfortunately strikes some as naïve and others as confrontational, is welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies, but are rather open to the truth.”
He told those present at his talk in the palace and his national audience, “The truth is always greater than we are, which is why it amazes us and draws us toward paths of purification and reconciliation, in which dialogue with others — and with the Other with a capital ‘O’ — becomes fundamentally important.”
He recalled two well known Spanish saints, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, and said, “Their mysticism is one of ‘open eyes,’ that is, not detached from history, but rather penetrating to the root of issues and the heart of reality.”
“In particular,” he added, “upon interpreting the transformations and weathering the tensions that make our age so dark, we can find it helpful to consider the theme of night, so dear to Saint John of the Cross” who, “in his thirst for light…learned to appreciate darkness—the ‘happy night’—as the time when the soul is freed from what it presumed to know and possess.”
Pope Leo said, “Even today, what most frightens us, what in many people triggers the darkness of reason and the violence of emotions, is the unknown, before which we may feel overwhelmed by a sense of being lost without a map, as if we have lost our bearings. This is why, even in public life, we need men and women who can perceive light in the darkness.”
Quoting his recent encyclical, Leo said, “Our age, seemingly shaken by terrible imbalances and conflicts, cries out from its depths for peace, for a new understanding of the human person and its inviolable dignity, for a civilization of love.”
He said St. Teresa of Avila “describes this same process using the language of the inner castle. As one moves from room to room toward the innermost chamber — that is, toward one’s own heart, the sanctuary of truth — the space enlarges, the mind opens, challenges are overcome, tensions dissipate, others find their place, and the universe becomes a home.”
Speaking to the theme of polarization, Pope Leo said, “The Catholic church…is ready to place herself at the service of the future of a people in search of reconciliation and peace.”
Spain is a member state of the European Union and, although polarization is a reality in many of those states too, Pope Leo in his appeal revealed his conviction that it is possible to overcome polarization in Europe: “I see here a vocation particularly suited to Europe, in which Spain plays a unique and fundamental role.” He said overcoming polarization “is the gift that the ‘Old Continent’ can give to the world.”
He urged his audience and the nation to appreciate and study “complexity,” that is, diversity, and to see it as “a blessing.” He urged them to “flee from identity-based approaches that seem to explain everything yet only fill the world with ‘ghosts’ and enemies.”
He appealed especially to those “with economic, political and institutional responsibilities, to make a qualitative leap forward — a change of direction in investment in schools, universities and research, as well as in local communities and civil society as a nurturing ground for participation and cultural mediation.”
He reminded them that “security, which we all too often expect to find in weapons and walls, is in fact best achieved by learning to move forward alongside one another, growing together, side by side.” He said their own history in its best moments shows this, and recalled that “the presence of Islam on the Iberian Peninsula, for example, constituted a long-standing political, cultural, and religious reality. During that period, there was not only confrontation, but also an attempt to create a space for contact, conversation and dialogue on the meaning of truth among Christians, Muslims and Jews.”
In his speech, Pope Leo also recalled how St. Ignatius of Loyola “taught us that trials and failures offer an opportunity for reevaluation… giving credence to the desolations and consolations of his heart through an exercise of discernment and imagination that led him to prefer peace over arms and the saints to the powerful.”
Leo said, “The same can happen with the ‘novelties’ that unsettle us today and often cause division” and, quoting again his recent encyclical, said, “We must avoid humiliating or antagonistic words, opting rather for a clarity that sheds light and a frankness that unlocks new possibilities.”
Pope Leo concluded his talk by praising Spain “for its faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism, which is reflected in an active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples.” He was referring to the stance taken by the Spanish government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez against the wars in Gaza and Iran, a stance that provoked strong negative reaction from the Trump administration.
At the same time, Pope Leo urged the Spanish authorities and people “to cultivate as well dialogue and civic friendship within your own country, to take into account the perspectives of the poor and the young when envisioning the future, to harmonize the claims for autonomy and unity, and to advance the cause of unity in Europe — not in opposition to other powers, but as a gift to the entire human family.”
When Leo finished speaking, his audience, including Vox leader Santiago Abascal, rose to its feet and gave him a standing ovation.
Íñigo Domínguez García, the correspondent for El Pais in Italy, told America, “It was a very direct speech, right on the political situation in Spain today. It called for dialogue in a very divided society, clearly accusing the extreme right for their positions against immigrants and for fomenting polarization in the country.” He saw it as hitting out specially against Vox, but also against the center-right Popular Party which has moved closer to Vox in the hope of winning next year’s national elections, something that the polls predict could happen.
Several journalists here remarked that while his talk was addressed to Spain, it would appear to have relevance in other countries too, including the United States.
The speech was the first of 22 (including homilies) that Leo will give during his visit to Spain. He arrived at Madrid’s international airport at 10.30 this morning and was warmly welcomed by the King Felipe VI and Queen Laetizia when he stepped off the plane, and afterwards by Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez and members of his government. From the airport, he was driven past cheering crowds to the Royal Palace where he was given an official state welcome, including a 21 gun salute and guard of honor. Then, after a private conversation with the Spanish monarchs, he gave his address. The King spoke first and rejoiced that the pope spoke Spanish thanks to his time as a missionary in Peru, recalled the Christian history of this land, and the great work done by the church. He also spoke about the abuse of minors by clergy, but hailed the pope’s efforts to root it out. He praised the pope for his recent encyclical and for his work for unity and peace.
After the visit to the castle, Pope Leo drove through the city in the popemobile, cheered on by thousands of people, and tonight he will participate at a prayer vigil with young people at the Bernabéu soccer stadium, home to Real Madrid.
On the plane coming from Rome, in response to a question about the fact that Bad Bunny was in town at the same time, Leo said he expected more young people would go to see the Puerto Rican rapper, but some would also come to see the pope. Asked whether he supports Real Madrid or Barca (the Barcelona team), Leo said that as pope he supports all teams, but that Robert Prevost (Leo’s name before he was pope) supports Real Madrid.
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