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Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Spain for Historic Six-Day Apostolic Visit

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Pope Leo XIV arrived in Spain for a six-day apostolic visit, his first to the country.
  • The Pope was welcomed at Madrid-Barajas Airport by King Felipe and Queen Letizia, along with government officials and religious leaders.
  • During the flight, Pope Leo XIV joked with journalists about football, stating that while the Pope is for all teams, Robert Francis Prevost supports Real Madrid.

Pope Leo XIV landed in Spain on Saturday for a historic six-day apostolic visit, marking his first time in the country. His plane touched down at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport at 10:12 AM.

Upon arrival, the pontiff was greeted by King Felipe and Queen Letizia, who welcomed him at the foot of the stairs. Also present were Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, and other government and religious dignitaries, including the Archbishop of Madrid and the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

During the flight from Rome, Pope Leo XIV engaged with the 80 journalists accompanying him. When asked about football, he humorously remarked that while the Pope supports all teams, Robert Francis Prevost is a Real Madrid fan. This visit includes stops in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, with the Pope scheduled to visit a homeless center managed by Cáritas in Madrid's Carabanchel neighborhood on the same afternoon.

the POPE is for all teams, but Prevost is of REAL MADRID.

— Pope Leo XIVResponding to a journalist's question about his football allegiances.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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