Pope defends freedom of religion, belief in Spain

“I come among you to affirm, encourage and instil a renewed fidelity to the Gospel among believers, as well as a deeper reconciliation and collaboration among the various elements of this nation,” he said on June 6, reported Vatican News.

Pope Leo XIV spoke to local authorities and the diplomatic corps at the Royal Palace in Madrid. Earlier, he was welcomed to Spain at the airport by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.

He thanked Spain for its faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism and praised the country’s “active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples”.

He urged the Spanish “to cultivate 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 harmonise 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”.

The Pope called the nation to a “deeper reconciliation and collaboration”, suggesting that a “culture of encounter, not confrontation, is what fosters stability and prosperity”.

Reflecting on saints such as Ignatius of Loyola, he 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 civilisation of love.

“St Teresa [of Avila] describes this same process using the image of the interior castle,” the Pope continued.

“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. This is not an escape into the self, but a radical openness to the Totus Alius et Semper Novus (‘entirely other and always new’ – referring to the radical transcendence of God) achieved when we return to ourselves.

“This dimension of the human person is the reason why religious freedom and freedom of conscience must be protected.”

In Madrid, the Pope also visited a Caritas-run centre that assists people experiencing homelessness and other situations of vulnerability. The Pontiff celebrated Mass and led a Corpus Christi procession on June 7. At a prayer vigil, he also offered words of encouragement to young people.

FULL STORY

Pope Leo in Spain pledges to affirm and renew fidelity to the Gospel (By Ruth Gledhill/The Tablet)

Pope visits Madrid’s most vulnerable at start of apostolic visit to Spain (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV in Madrid: Corpus Christi must not become museum of the past (EWTN News)

Pope calls on Spanish youth to “be the sparks of a new humanity” (Vatican News)

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