\u201cToday, 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,\u201d Pope Leo said in his first speech soon after arriving in Spain, a majority Catholic country of 50 million people.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Spanish, Leo went on to issue a pressing appeal to the state authorities and to the Spanish people to overcome this polarization. \u201cFor 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,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Augustinian pope, who first came here in 1982 and has visited the country many times since, said he sees polarization as \u201ca dark night\u201d in the soul of the nation. He recalled that \u201cfor nearly two millennia this great country has welcomed the Gospel,\u201d which, according to tradition, was brought to Spain by the Apostle James. The Christian faith, he said, \u201cprofoundly shaped\u201d the culture of this land and \u201crepresents a source of hope and direction amid the challenges we must face together as a human family today.\u201d He pointed to how the faith is expressed in popular piety and the country\u2019s artistic and musical heritage, as well as many confraternities and charitable associations. These, he said, \u201cbear witness to the fruitful encounter between Jesus Christ and your people, a passionate people who love life and express it!\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking as the successor of Peter, he told them, \u201cI 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.\u201d He reminded them, \u201cyour own history suggests that a culture of encounter, not confrontation, is what fosters stability and prosperity.\u201d In reality, he said, \u201cthe message of peace, which at present unfortunately strikes some as na\u00efve and others as confrontational, is welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies, but are rather open to the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
He told those present at his talk in the palace and his national audience, \u201cThe 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 \u2014 and with the Other with a capital \u2018O\u2019 \u2014 becomes fundamentally important.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalled two well known Spanish saints, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, and said,\u00a0 \u201cTheir mysticism is one of \u2018open eyes,\u2019 that is, not detached from history, but rather penetrating to the root of issues and the heart of reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn particular,\u201d he added, \u201cupon 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\u201d who, \u201cin his thirst for light\u2026learned to appreciate darkness\u2014the \u2018happy night\u2019\u2014as the time when the soul is freed from what it presumed to know and possess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo said, \u201cEven 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quoting his recent encyclical, Leo said, \u201cOur 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said St. Teresa of Avila \u201cdescribes this same process using the language of the inner castle. As one moves from room to room toward the innermost chamber \u2014 that is, toward one\u2019s own heart, the sanctuary of truth \u2014 the space enlarges, the mind opens, challenges are overcome, tensions dissipate, others find their place, and the universe becomes a home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to the theme of polarization, Pope Leo said, \u201cThe Catholic church\u2026is ready to place herself at the service of the future of a people in search of reconciliation and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
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: \u201cI see here a vocation particularly suited to Europe, in which Spain plays a unique and fundamental role.\u201d He said overcoming polarization \u201cis the gift that the \u2018Old Continent\u2019 can give to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urged his audience and the nation to appreciate and study \u201ccomplexity,\u201d that is, diversity, and to see it as \u201ca blessing.\u201d He urged them to \u201cflee from identity-based approaches that seem to explain everything yet only fill the world with \u2018ghosts\u2019 and enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n
He appealed especially to those \u201cwith economic, political and institutional responsibilities, to make a qualitative leap forward \u2014 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reminded them that \u201csecurity, 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.\u201d He said their own history in its best moments shows this, and recalled that \u201cthe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his speech, Pope Leo also recalled how St. Ignatius of Loyola \u201ctaught us that trials and failures offer an opportunity for reevaluation\u2026 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo said, \u201cThe same can happen with the \u2018novelties\u2019 that unsettle us today and often cause division\u201d and, quoting again his recent encyclical, said, \u201cWe must avoid humiliating or antagonistic words, opting rather for a clarity that sheds light and a frankness that unlocks new possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo concluded his talk by praising Spain \u201cfor its faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism, which is reflected in an active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples.\u201d\u00a0 He was referring to the stance taken by the Spanish government led by Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez against the wars in Gaza and Iran, a stance that provoked strong negative reaction from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Pope Leo urged the Spanish authorities and people \u201cto 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 \u2014 not in opposition to other powers, but as a gift to the entire human family.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Leo finished speaking, his audience, including Vox leader Santiago Abascal, rose to its feet and gave him a standing ovation.<\/p>\n
\u00cd\u00f1igo Dom\u00ednguez Garc\u00eda, the correspondent for El Pais in Italy, told America, \u201cIt 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.\u201d 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\u2019s national elections, something that the polls predict could happen.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The speech was the first of 22 (including homilies) that Leo will give during his visit to Spain. He arrived at Madrid\u2019s 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\u2019s Prime Minister, Pedro S\u00e1nchez 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\u2019s efforts to root it out. He praised the pope for his recent encyclical and for his work for unity and peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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 Bernab\u00e9u soccer stadium, home to Real Madrid.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s name before he was pope) supports Real Madrid.<\/p>\n
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