Just like a Real Madrid player, Pope Leo XIV was presented with the club’s white jersey bearing his name. Then from the locker rooms, the pope stepped out onto the soccer field for the diocesan gathering being held inside Bernabéu Stadium. The crowd erupted in excitement:
The evening's event began on a high note. Many people shared their testimonies with Pope Leo. The 33-year old Álvaro, for one, had just received Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation:
ÁLVARO
There came a moment in my life when I began to question the meaning of things. I felt an emptiness inside me…Why are we here in this world? I realized I had no answers, and something began to awaken within me. I knew something was missing, and I wanted more. From that feeling arose a new interest in the things of God.
The pope openly expressed his amusement and joy before the more than 80,000 people in attendance. Notice, for example, how much he enjoyed this small group that reenacted a soccer match in which “the Church scores goals every day.”
And at the beginning of his speech, Pope Leo made a playful reference to the thematic setting:
LEO XIV
I imagine that for a football player, scoring a goal in this stadium is something that leaves a mark on their life. But Don José, today the Church of Madrid has scored an absolute screamer, a goal for the ages.
After this opening joke, the pope addressed the members of Madrid's Catholic community and entrusted them with a mission:
LEO XIV
Goodness, even when shown by only a few, can overcome the fear of many. Be, for everyone, like an open Bible: may people find the Word of God in your faces and in your lives. Love, indeed, is the language that makes everyone feel at home.
The huge crowd at Bernabéu showed their affection for Pope Leo XIV as the event came to a moving close. The entire stadium was on its feet for a standing ovation that brought an unforgettable evening to a fitting end.
