Pope Leo XIV concluded his stay in Madrid this Tuesday with a meeting dedicated to the hundreds of volunteers who collaborated in organizing the events of his apostolic journey. The gathering, held in pavilion 3 of IFEMA Madrid, was intended to recognize the work of those who, for months, have discreetly contributed to the development of the various activities scheduled during the papal visit.
Before entering the venue, the Holy Father toured part of the facilities in an electric vehicle to greet the faithful gathered there. He was then received by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo Cano, with whom he presided over the thanksgiving event for the volunteers.
Recognition of the “silent army”
The organization sought to highlight the role of those who worked behind the scenes to make the apostolic journey possible. The meeting began with the screening of a video titled The Silent Army, an expression used to describe the many people who have given their time and skills in tasks of welcome, logistics, coordination, pilgrim care, and support for the various events.
During the event, testimonies were also heard from Mercedes Rodríguez Loeb and Nuño Adam Castrillo, two volunteers who shared their experience of service in preparing for the papal visit. The celebration also included a musical performance and various moments of gratitude directed at those who collaborated in the organization.
Leo XIV specifically highlighted the generosity of those who dedicated workdays, vacations, and even months of preparation to make the events planned in Madrid possible.
A message centered on gratuity and service
In his address, the Pontiff went beyond personal thanks to reflect on the Christian meaning of volunteering. Taking as a reference the Gospel parable of the yeast, he stated that Christians are called to bring to the world “the yeast of gratuity.”
The Pope emphasized that selfless service is a necessary response in a society where economic and utilitarian criteria often prevail. As he explained, gratuity contributes to the human, ethical, and spiritual growth of peoples and represents one of the most visible signs of the presence of the Kingdom of God.
He also recalled that the Christian transformation of society does not depend solely on major initiatives, but also on the daily dedication of those who serve others without seeking recognition.
Final event before departing for Barcelona
After the Holy Father’s speech, Cardinal José Cobo offered words of thanks, and the traditional exchange of gifts took place. The meeting concluded with the papal blessing and a final hymn.
The gathering with the volunteers marked the end of Leo XIV’s Madrid agenda. Shortly afterward, the Pontiff traveled to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport to fly to Barcelona, where he continued his apostolic visit with a busy day featuring institutional meetings, prayer in the Cathedral, and a large-scale vigil with young people.
Address of the Holy Father Leo XIV to the volunteers
Your Eminence,
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
This meeting is the last of the Madrid stage of my apostolic journey, and I am very pleased that it is with you, the volunteers of Madrid and from so many parts of Spain. You deserve a very special “thank you,” because you have offered your presence and your service, and you have done so out of love for the Lord, the Church, and the Pope. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I thank the two “spokespersons” who shared their testimonies with us, as well as those who produced the video and the musical performance.
I have learned that, from the very beginning, your response to the call was enthusiastic: within a few days you exceeded the requested numbers, and thus the needs were amply met. You have taken days off work; some of you have dedicated yourselves full-time for months, but each one has given what they could, offering heart, hands, ideas, talents, and smiles. May God reward you as only He knows how!
I would like to share with you a simple reflection, which I would summarize as follows: Christians are called to bring to the world the yeast of gratuity.
Jesus used the image of yeast in a parable about the Kingdom of heaven, recorded by the evangelist Matthew: “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Mt 13:33). Your experience these days, like that of so many brothers and sisters who volunteer in similar circumstances—I am thinking of last year’s Jubilee—is a sign of the coming Kingdom, and it is so for one essential reason: gratuity.
Gratuity is a yeast that enhances the human, ethical, and spiritual quality of a society, because it could be said to be a typical feature of the “city of God.” In a world continually influenced by the logic of interest and profit, where the term “growth” is reduced to the economic-financial dimension, it is necessary to think and live according to a truer logic, that of integral human growth. It is the logic of the Gospel, which says: “And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?” (Lk 6:33-34).
Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ came to bring to the world the yeast of the Kingdom of heaven; He mixed it into the dough of our wounded humanity to heal it from within, with the water and blood of His sacrifice and with the fire of His Holy Spirit. After His death and resurrection, He sent His disciples, with the power of the same Spirit, to be in the world signs and instruments of His Kingdom of love, justice, and peace. This is accomplished through preaching, but also, and I would say even more so, through a way of life, a way of thinking and behaving that is that of the Gospel. Well, an essential feature of this way of life is the gratuity you have witnessed these days here in Madrid. Thank you! Statistics may not record it, but we know that in these days, thanks also to you, this city has grown and is closer to the Kingdom of God. Is it our merit? No! It is all His grace! This is the secret: the love of God, who moves the sun and the stars, and moves the hearts of those who have encountered the “Lord Jesus, who said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
Sisters and brothers, let us continue on this path! With humility and meekness, without any presumption, but firm in faith and generous in service. May the Virgin Mary grant you to be yeast of the Kingdom always and everywhere. Thank you! See you in Rome!