Pope Leo XIV warns against 'fanning the flames of polarization' on first papal visit to Spain in 15 years

By — Nicole Winfield, Associated Press Nicole Winfield, Associated Press By — Suman Naishadham, Associated Press Suman Naishadham, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/pope-leo-xiv-warns-against-fanning-the-flames-of-polarization-on-first-papal-visit-to-spain-in-15-years Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pope Leo XIV warns against 'fanning the flames of polarization' on first papal visit to Spain in 15 years World Jun 6, 2026 4:08 PM EDT MADRID (AP) — Pope Leo XIV urged Spaniards on Saturday to stop "fanning the flames of polarization" as he arrived in Spain at a moment of political turmoil for the Socialist-led government and a credibility crisis for the Catholic Church. The American pontiff traveled to Spain dozens of times as a priest, but this is the first visit here by a pope in 15 years. And Spaniards turned out in droves to welcome Leo, with an estimated 500,000 people — many of them young — cheering "This is the youth of the pope" at a raucous evening prayer vigil in Plaza de Lima in Madrid, where Leo was treated to a rock star's welcome. Leo's visit signals a return of papal attention to Europe's Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away. WATCH: Pope Leo warns AI should be 'disarmed' in manifesto on potential dangers Leo is seemingly keen to bring his message of peace, unity and human dignity to a continent sorely polarized over migration, the Russia-Ukraine war and anxiety over artificial intelligence. The pope, known as León XIV in Spanish, opened his weeklong trip in Madrid, greeted at the airport by the country's Catholic monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He told reporters, while traveling, that he was particularly heartened by reports of a spiritual awakening among young people in the once-staunchly Catholic but now secularized country. During his welcome address, Leo appealed to Spaniards, especially political leaders, to put polemics aside and invest in educating young people to appreciate diversity and complexity rather than shunning them. "Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated," Leo said. He appealed to Spain's place at the heart of Christian Europe to serve as a model for the rest of the continent, while also recalling the country's 800-year Moorish past, when cities like Toledo and Córdoba became, he said, "centers of dialogue between languages, religions and knowledge." "For the love of truth, I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history," he said. Doing so will help Europe "overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity." Spaniards find themselves increa