Pope Leo XIV is already in Spain, after landing in Madrid past 10 in the morning, for his seven-day official visit that will include the Spanish capital, Barcelona (where he will visit the Sagrada Familia and bless the Tower of Jesus) and the Canary Islands.
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On the flight to Spain, the Pontiff received the book Leo XIV. A Pope for Turbulent Times, edited by La Vanguardia and which explores from different perspectives the personality and consistent ideas of an Augustinian who has delved into the thought of Saint Augustine to project himself on issues of our time such as artificial intelligence.
On the papal plane, the Pontiff addressed the numerous questions posed by journalists without avoiding any topic, from fundamental issues such as his opposition to wars that has led to a clash with the Trump administration (reaffirming his outright rejection of the concept of “just war”), the investigation of abuses in the Church (reaffirming his commitment in this regard and admitting that “it remains an open wound”), the use of Catalan in Barcelona (he has confirmed that he will address some words or greetings in Catalan) or joking about his football preferences between Barcelona and Madrid (“the Pope belongs to all teams, but Prevost is from Madrid”) .
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Already on Spanish soil and after being received by the Kings at the airport, the Pope now begins an extensive program, with more than 20 religious, social and institutional events, 23 interventions (including speeches, homilies and addresses) and stages in the dioceses of Madrid, Sant Feliu del Llobregat, Barcelona, Canary Islands and Tenerife. During this journey, Leo XIV will travel 2,500 kilometers.
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