The Spanish Episcopal Conference has expressed its satisfaction following the official announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Spain, scheduled from June 6 to 12, with presence in several dioceses. In statements disseminated by the Conference itself, various prelates have emphasized the pastoral and also institutional nature of the visit.
The announcement has been received as «good news» both for the Church in Spain and for society as a whole, highlighting the ecclesial significance of an apostolic journey and the public dimension of the Pontiff as head of state.
Argüello: “Confirm to the brothers in the faith”
The president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Mons. Luis Argüello, has stated that the announcement «fills us with joy,» while posing both an organizational and spiritual challenge.
Argüello recalled that the main objective of an apostolic trip is «to confirm the brothers in the faith,» a faith that—according to him—translates into «hope and charity in the concrete life of our respective Churches.»
Likewise, he emphasized that the Pope’s visit also has an institutional dimension, as it is «the visit of a head of state.» In that sense, he highlighted that the presence of Leo XIV can be a positive sign for Spanish society, presenting him as «a witness to trust, an unarmed and disarming peace» and fraternity.
Omella: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”
Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, has affirmed that the visit should be experienced «with great joy» and has highlighted that the Pope will visit Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands.
Although he acknowledged that it would be impossible for the Pontiff to tour every corner of the country, he pointed out that his presence «reaches us all» through the media and the message he will convey.
Omella encouraged welcoming the Pope «with an open heart and attentive ears,» emphasizing that in his homilies and statements, Leo XIV has insisted on fraternity, communion, and peace. Quoting the Pontiff’s habitual expressions, he mentioned the idea of an «unarmed and disarming peace,» understood not only as the absence of weapons, but as the overcoming of hatred and walls.
Cobo: “A piece of news that comes in white cassock”
For his part, Cardinal José Cobo stated that what was previously a rumor has become an official confirmation, generating «general joy» in the Spanish Church.
Cobo described the visit as «a piece of news that comes in white cassock» and noted that the Pope will arrive to «give a great embrace of evangelization» and to «confirm in the faith» the Christian communities.
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As he indicated, the Church in Spain was already preparing the welcome and will now intensify that spiritual and organizational disposition ahead of a visit that he defined as a «process of conversion» to prepare the heart for what the Pope wishes to convey.