This is the final public meeting of Pope Leo XIV in the capital of Spain. As the past few days have revealed, his presence in the city has been a source of great joy for the people of Madrid.
One of the most notable aspects of his time in the city has been the number of blessings given to babies, his warm and intimate gestures, and his displays of affection. This final day was no different.
The pope spent the end of the first part of his apostolic journey in Spain with these people—the volunteers:
MERCEDES RODRÍGUEZ
ORIG. SPANISH
All these months of serving in the preparation for the Pope’s visit, I have approached it as a gift given to me by the Church. That Church, which is my Mother, has now entrusted her daughter with preparing the encounter of all her children with the Vicar of Christ.
Aware of all the effort and behind-the-scenes work that has gone into making his visit a success, Pope Leo began by expressing his gratitude off the cuff, improvising in Spanish, the second language with which he is most familiar.
POPE LEO XIV
ORIG. SPANISH
This meeting is the last event of the Madrid stage of my apostolic journey, but I am very glad that it is with you, volunteers. Each one of you, and many others who could not be here this morning, deserve a very special thank you.
His speech also focused on gratitude. The pope has appeared very joyful at each event over these four days, and he made sure to express that joy with thanksgiving before leaving the capital.
POPE LEO XIV
ORIG. SPANISH
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!
At the end of this moving final gathering, the young people danced and sang together before Pope Leo. Bidding farewell to Madrid and its citizens, the pope will head to his second Spanish destination: Barcelona.
