Pope Leo in Spain: More than a million line Madrid streets
Key takeaways
- Huge crowds welcomed Pope Leo XIV to Madrid on Sunday.
- People tossed flower petals, waved flags and shouted "Long live the Pope!" as the 70-year-old American arrived in the square, where he presided over an open-air mass.
- In his sermon, the pontiff told the crowds: "This is not an exhibition, a remnant of folklore or a simple display of beauty.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Huge crowds welcomed Pope Leo XIV to Madrid on Sunday. The pontiff is on a five-day trip around Spain during which he is meeting vulnerable people such as migrants and the homeless, and promoting "genuine human values."
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ey1r Pope Leo said that God "identifies with the poor, the downtrodden, those who alone and forsaken"Image: Oscar Del Pozo/AFPAdvertisement More than 1.2 million people thronged the streets of central Madrid on Sunday in the hope of catching a glimpse of Pope Leo XIV, according to figures provided by the Vatican and local organizers.
The head of the Catholic Church traveled in the "popemobile" down the Spanish capital's main thoroughfare, the Paseo de la Castellana, to the central Plaza de Cibeles — the square best known as the rallying point for football supporters celebrating Real Madrid's successes.