Pope Leo XIV arrived in Madrid on Saturday, beginning a seven-day apostolic journey to Spain and the Canary Islands that marks the first papal visit to the country in 15 years. The American pontiff was greeted at Madrid-Barajas Airport by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

The highlight of Leo's visit will be his address Monday to both chambers of the Spanish Parliament, making him the first pope ever to speak before Las Cortes Generales. Previous popes, including John Paul II and Benedict XVI, visited Spain multiple times but never addressed the legislature. The papal speech comes as Spain's Socialist-led government faces political pressure from corruption scandals, with conservative opposition parties calling for early elections.

The Vatican confirmed that Leo will meet with survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his visit, as Spain's Catholic Church continues to reckon with decades of abuse scandals. The Church's influence has declined significantly since Spain's transition to democracy following Francisco Franco's death in 1975, with Catholics dropping from 90% of the population in the 1970s to 55% in 2025, according to state polling data.

Leo's itinerary includes a Mass at Barcelona's Sagrada Familia basilica, where he will inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ, making it the world's tallest church. The visit will conclude in the Canary Islands, a key destination for migrants crossing from West Africa. There, Leo is expected to meet with migrants and humanitarian organizations and participate in a memorial for those who died during the dangerous Atlantic crossing.

The papal visit comes as Spain has taken a different approach to immigration than many European countries, with the government announcing plans to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants. The trip reflects Leo's focus on returning papal attention to Europe amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and concerns about artificial intelligence.