More than 1.2 million people gathered with Pope Leo XIV in and around Cibeles Square, located in the heart of Madrid, to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi.
After greeting the faithful and pilgrims from his popemobile, the pope presided over the Mass. During his homily, he recalled the influence this celebration has had—and continues to have—on the culture of Spain.
POPE LEO XIV
Original Spanish
Corpus Christi is not just another feast on the liturgical calendar, but a return to the roots of the faith in order to renew our love for and fidelity to God.
This is not merely an outward display, a folkloric survival, or a simple aesthetic ornament. Rather, it is about faith in the presence of the Risen Lord, who is alive and continues to pass among us.
He also emphasized that this special feast goes far beyond the procession and public exaltation, but can become a new point of departure:
POPE LEO XIV
It is not only about bringing out the monstrance, but about allowing ourselves to be brought out of selfishness, indifference, and a comfortable, private faith, so as to respond to His invitation to conversion and to change the way we see.
Concluding his sermon, Pope Leo invited all those present and the Spanish people as a whole to fulfill an essential mission.
POPE LEO XIV
Therefore, here is a charge for the Spain of today and tomorrow: may the religiosity that has animated this country for centuries not become a museum of the past to be visited, but rather a school of faith from which we may continue to draw nourishment today.
The choir and orchestra for Mass, made up of 400 members from different musical groups and cathedral choirs, performed a variety of moving and powerful liturgical hymns.
The Corpus Christi Mass was later followed by a procession of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the square, led of course by Pope Leo XIV. It was a beautiful event to mark a special moment in the Spanish history books.
