Pope Leo XIV expresses thanks to Spain and 'especially' King Felipe VI after visit that drew 2.5 million faithful
Pope Leo XIV, back in Rome after a week-long visit to Spain, used his Sunday Angelus to thank the nation for its 'enthusiasm and devotion' and to single out King Felipe VI, who lent the pontiff his aircraft when the papal jet broke down in Tenerife.
A week of Spanish fervour
Pope Leo XIV returned to Rome late on Friday, 12 June, after a seven-day apostolic journey through Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Organisers put attendance at more than 2.5 million people across 21 official events; one press report counted 22 large gatherings. The visit was one of the largest-turnout papal trips to Spain in recent memory.
An unexpected royal rescue
The return journey nearly stalled when the Iberia aircraft scheduled to carry the pontiff from Tenerife developed a technical problem. King Felipe VI responded by offering the Pope his official Falcon jet from the Spanish Air Force. The Pope flew back to Rome on the Falcon, touching down at around 11 pm, while the rest of the Vatican delegation and journalists followed later on a replacement plane. The King remained on the island for almost four hours waiting for another Falcon to bring him to Madrid, a gesture the Holy See said it appreciated.
Sunday Angelus and special gratitude
At the traditional Sunday Angelus in St. Peter's Square on 14 June, the Pope opened his address with thanks for the visit.
I express, first of all, my gratitude to the Lord for the apostolic journey he granted me to make in Spain. I thank the Spanish people, who welcomed me with great enthusiasm and devotion. I am especially grateful to His Majesty the King.
He added affectionate thanks to the bishops, the communities he visited and the entire Church in Spain, before closing in Spanish: "Que Dios bendiga siempre a España!" The crowd of pilgrims broke into applause.
Messages beyond the visit
Without explicitly linking to Spain, the pontiff also warned against violence and consumerism, calling Christians to "bring charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction and faith where there is distrust." He asked for prayers for the Philippines, hit by a strong earthquake days earlier, and recalled the beatification of martyrs who died under totalitarian regimes. In the Canaries, Bishop Eloy Santiago urged that the Pope's words on migration be given "continuity" and not remain a fleeting memory.
What comes next
The Pope is expected to use his Wednesday general audience for a fuller reflection on the Spanish visit. With no public engagements on Sunday afternoon and a likely transfer to Castel Gandolfo on Monday, the pontiff will have a brief rest after an intense week. The Church in Spain, meanwhile, is left to digest a flood of pastoral encouragement and the image of a papal trip capped by a king's personal intervention.
