Leo XIV to Address Cortes and Visit Barcelona During Spain Trip

The Vatican has officially confirmed Pope Leo XIV's trip to Spain from June 6–12. According to information from Spanish media and parliamentary sources, the Holy See has requested the organization of a joint session of the Cortes Generales on the morning of June 8, during which the pope is to deliver a speech as a head of state. Preparations involve, among others, Congress President Francina Armengol and Senate President Pedro Rollán, and the Spanish Episcopal Conference has submitted a formal written request. Defense Minister Margarita Robles met with the Apostolic Nuncio Piero Pioppo to discuss logistics, mobility, and security. The bishops emphasize that the trip has a pastoral and institutional dimension, while simultaneously denying that it is contingent on disputes over migrant regularization or an agreement with the government on compensation for abuse victims. 6–12 czerwca — dates of the visit to Spain Spain's relations with the Holy See have for centuries combined religious and state dimensions, as the pope also acts as the sovereign of Vatican City. In the 20th century, papal visits became an important tool of diplomacy and the Church's symbolic influence in Europe. In Barcelona, preparations are centered around June 10, which marks the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death, with events at the Sagrada Família basilica including a morning offering at his tomb in the crypt, a solemn liturgy, and the blessing and inauguration of the Jesus Tower. Local coordinators stress that the Vatican will announce the program details, though it is preliminarily assumed that this day will become the focal point of the visit to Catalonia. Some media also recall other plans of the pope: on March 1, he is to visit the Roman district of Quatricciolo, and on March 28 – Monaco, which would be the first papal visit to the principality since the 16th century. Simultaneously, announcements of a trip to Algeria are emerging, where local media and authorities speak of its symbolic weight. In an economic dispatch, it was also reported that Ryanair announced its summer schedule from Valencia (59 routes, two new ones – to Rabat and Warsaw) and a 2% increase in rotations. „la tentation de préparer des homélies à l'aide de l'intelligence artificielle” (the temptation to prepare homilies using artificial intelligence) — Leo XIV A technological thread runs through reports from Rome: during a meeting with the clergy of the Roman diocese, the pope called the use of tools like ChatGPT for writing homilies a "temptation" and noted that faith cannot be delegated to a digital system. Media also reported the presentation of a Vatican tool for instant liturgical translation into 60 languages. In another, separate matter, Spanish police – in cooperation with German services – arrested in Heinsberg a suspect in the murder of Ukrainian lawyer and politician Andriy Portnov, who was shot in Madrid in May 2025; a European Arrest Warrant was issued against the man, and extradition proceedings are ongoing.

Perspektywy mediów: Media emphasize the abuse thread and warnings against the far right. Media focus on protocol, logistics, and the pastoral dimension of the visit.