RELATED: In Spain, Pope points Europe to future of faith, solidarity amid global upheaval<\/a><\/p>\nYet despite a sharp decrease in the percentage of practicing Catholics in recent years and the ongoing concert tour of famed Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny in Madrid, that has not stopped people from flocking to papal events, including Sunday\u2019s Mass and a youth vigil Saturday that drew some 600,000.<\/p>\n
It is this Catholic instinct Pope Leo has sought to tap into during his first two days in Madrid, and which he drove home in Sunday\u2019s Corpus Christi Mass.<\/p>\n
An ode to memory<\/p>\n
In his homily, the pope noted that Eucharistic devotion is, \u201cdeeply rooted in the faith and the history of your people.\u201d<\/p>\n
He invoked Spain\u2019s deep Catholic roots, saying Corpus Christi processions have long been more than just \u201canother celebration\u201d on the calendar, but for centuries have shaped the piety, art and culture of Spain.<\/p>\n
Processions, he said, demonstrate that Jesus \u201cis not confined to the church, but comes out to meet us,\u201d and they point to God\u2019s presence in everyday life.<\/p>\n
He stressed the importance for Spaniards of remembering their Catholic roots, saying the feast of Corpus Christi and the colorful processions associated with it ought to be more than just \u201cwistful nostalgia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather, \u201cit stands as an invitation in the present moment, in our daily lives, in our relationships, in society, and in the building of the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Leo urged faithful to return to Jesus \u201cwith sincere love\u201d and forge a relationship with him, so as to \u201cgo forth into the paths of life and history, bringing to the people this stream of fresh water, a stream of love, peace, justice and joy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us drink anew from this Eucharistic spring, which does not enclose us in private devotion, but sends us out to refresh our brothers and sisters, our families, the poor, the suffering, and those who have lost hope,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This devotion, he said, \u201ctransforms us and makes us protagonists of the transformation of history, a sign of hope for those we meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
A message that inspires<\/p>\n
Among the 1.2 million attending the pope\u2019s Mass and procession Sunday were Ramona and Jose Antonio Reyes Fern\u00e1ndez, with their sons Pedro and Diego, who made their first communion just two weeks ago and who were eagerly waiting Pope Leo\u2019s arrival to present him with a stuffed lion.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Crux Now, Ramona said the family was \u201cso, so incredibly excited to see the pope,\u201d calling the papal visit \u201ca unique opportunity\u201d for Spain, as her son Diego chimed in saying they wanted \u201cto listen to his words.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family, who had attended the pope\u2019s prayer vigil with youth Saturday, during which many became emotional, said the pope\u2019s message is one that Spain, and Europe, need to hear. Ramona said they listened to the pontiff speak Saturday and \u201cwe loved hearing him talk about being more human.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLifting our gaze, in the end, means looking up and to our side, raising our eyes from our phones and computers. We believe his message needs to reach everyone, and we are here to listen to it and, starting tomorrow, keep spreading it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the rapid growth of secularism in Europe and throughout the West, Ramona said that being Christian, and a practicing Catholic, \u201cisn\u2019t anything strange; we aren\u2019t aliens.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that what [Pope Leo] transmits to this secularized culture is the Gospel. The Gospel is love; love for God and love for one\u2019s neighbor. And that is exactly what this secular world needs. More love for our neighbor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
This love, she said, must begin, as Pope Leo said, in the community, \u201cin the family, at work, at school, right now, with the people right next to us whom we don\u2019t even know. Love for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly, Chiara, a Peruvian woman who has lived in Spain for 18 years, told Crux Now that \u201cit is an emotional experience that the pope is here,\u201d but it is especially so for Peruvians, as Pope Leo himself holds Peruvian citizenship, having served over 20 years there as a missionary.<\/p>\n
Chiara, who attended the procession with her mother Maria, voiced her belief that the papal trip \u2013 the first in 15 years \u2013 was \u201ca historic moment for Spain that allows all people to be united, everyone together, united in the end, because of the pope.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is something that will bear a lot of fruit in the future, meaning that more people will be able to follow God and be with the pope,\u201d she said, voicing her belief that the pope\u2019s presence can change the direction of the country.<\/p>\n
The major events that happen during a papal trip, she said, \u201callow many people who perhaps aren\u2019t as devout or involved to come and meet him. Besides, the pope has given what I think are very important messages, especially of unity, both for our country and for Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n
She voiced her belief that the pope\u2019s message is sinking in, and that \u201cboth young people, who need it and are looking for a sense of purpose, and adults, can unite, and that God\u2019s message can reach us through him.\u201d<\/p>\n
A path forward<\/p>\n
One of the most notable aspects of the pope\u2019s trip to Spain so far, for many observers, has been not only the sheer size of the crowds showing up, but the ability of these same crowds to be silent and to recollect in prayer amid a buzzing fast-paced world full of distractions.<\/p>\n
It is this disposition of listening that Pope Leo is leaning into during his visit, using an event on \u201cBuilding networks with the world of culture, art, economy and sport\u201d in Madrid\u2019s Movistar Arena Sunday evening to offer a blueprint for Europe to free itself from polarized divisions, and step into a future based on mutual respect and solidarity.<\/p>\n
In his speech for the event, which included an intervention by Spanish actor and singer Antonio Banderas and performances from other famed Spanish artists, the pope questioned attendees about what legacy they are leaving for the future \u201cand, by extension, what kind of community are we building?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur society does indeed possess an extraordinary capacity to produce, innovate and communicate; however, it seems we still need to learn how to safeguard the soul of what it generates,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Church, he said, is aware of both its successes and its errors in the past, but it \u201clongs to remain in dialogue with the contemporary world\u201d in order to help build a better future.<\/p>\n
This future, Leo said, must be directed toward \u201ctoward a life of dignity and the common good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asking what it means to be truly human, he urged attendees to ponder \u201cwhat it is that we are sowing today, what exactly is flourishing and what is silently withering in our society; what values are we preserving and which are we allowing to die.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are profound and necessary questions that cannot be ignored,\u201d he said, and stressed the need to build networks of dialogue among individuals and institutions that is based on human dignity.<\/p>\n
What this entails, he said, is that \u201cthe university not ignore the working world nor renounce the truth; that business does not view the employee as just another factor in the equation of its interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
It also requires that art not only be accessible to the elites and that sports not be reduced to \u201ca spectacle or turned into mere business; and that technological progress take into account the elderly, the poor and those without a voice,\u201d Leo said.<\/p>\n
Christians, he said, must base everything on the inalienable human dignity, \u201crespect of which is the basis of dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building networks also means creating beauty together, and it requires selfless service, especially to those most in need.<\/p>\n
To this end, he noted that it is largely people and institutions of faith that have built and run hospitals, schools, and solidarity initiatives throughout the world, and who continue to be at the forefront of the defense of human dignity.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this reason, we would do well to ask ourselves honestly if the world \u2013 and Europe in particular \u2013 would have forged its identity without that spiritual influence that has permeated its history,\u201d he said, recalling secular Europe\u2019s deeply Christian roots.<\/p>\n
This question, he said, is an invitation for European society to reflect on whether eternity \u201ccan still be reconciled with everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it seriously possible to believe that Europe \u2013 which we deeply love \u2013 would be the same without the influence of faith?\u201d he asked, in a plug for the continent to return to its founding Christian values.<\/p>\n
The pontiff stressed the need to care for the poor and excluded, saying, \u201cWe cannot ignore the fact that the condition of the poor is a cry that, in the history of humanity, constantly challenges our lives, our societies, our political and economic systems, and the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n
The one who can show humanity how to restore dignity and balance is Christ and the Church as \u201can expert in humanity,\u201d he said, saying, \u201ceconomic and institutional structures are just only to the extent that they serve the integral development of the person and promote the responsible participation of all.\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED: Leo XIV: Leveraging the Church\u2019s \u2018expertise in humanity\u2019<\/a><\/p>\nAntonio Banderas in his speech at the event reflected on his own faith and lamented the societal trend toward violence and exclusion, saying the alliance between civil society and the Church is needed to tackle modern challenges.<\/p>\n
Noting that Jesus Christ is the most depicted figure in art, he said art \u201cmust continue to be, the mirror that reflects lives that pass right by an injured neighbor\u201d and it must also be a place where the \u201cempty creeds that forgot love\u201d are denounced, he said.<\/p>\n
Art, Banderas said, must be \u201cthe voice or warning for societies that have grown accustomed to injustice. Art must be an alternative to violence. All forms of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calling for a reinforcement of the relationship between the church and civil society, he said this rapport \u201cis not only timely: it is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MADRID \u2013 Pope Leo XIV on his second day in Spain invoked the country\u2019s rich faith traditions and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36460,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[11156,11157,273,17,10165],"class_list":["post-36459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spain","tag-catholic","tag-independent","tag-news","tag-spain","tag-vatican"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}