Pope Leo urges leaders to listen to the world’s cries for peace

Pope Leo XIV waves to people on his way to lead a prayer vigil with young people in the Plaza de Lima in Madrid on June 6, 2026. (AFP)

MADIRD: Pope Leo XIV on Saturday hailed Spain, whose government has opposed wars in Gaza, Iran, and Ukraine, for its “commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples” during a state visit.
“I express my gratitude to your country for its faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism, which is reflected in an active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples,” Leo told a reception at Madrid’s royal palace.
Pope Leo urged global leaders to avoid dividing their electorates with “sterile simplifications” to gain popularity and ​called on them to listen to the world’s cries for peace, in a forceful speech opening a week-long tour of Spain. 
Leo will meet homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands during a visit he has said he hopes will set an example to the world about respecting “every human being.”
“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 in the speech.
“I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history, so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity,” he added.
Technology was partly to blame for creating an environment that magnifies prejudices and weakens ‌critical thinking, Leo said. The ‌world was crying “from its depths for peace,” he said.
He drew on Spain’s history as an example of peaceful coexistence among religions and cultures, citing how Christians, Muslims, and Jews cooperated during the medieval period to advance human knowledge by translating Arabic texts into Latin, Spanish, and Hebrew at the School of Translators in Toledo.
“Your own history suggests that a culture of encounter, not confrontation, is what fosters stability and prosperity. In reality, the message of peace, which at present unfortunately strikes some as naïve and others as confrontational, is welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies, but are rather open to the truth,” he said.
Thousands lined the streets of central Madrid, some waving Vatican and Spanish flags under clear spring skies, as Leo toured in an open-air popemobile. 
Huge gatherings are expected in the coming days for the first visit to Spain by a pope since 2011. 
The pope’s visit coincides with 10 days of concerts by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, and local church officials have indicated that a meeting between the two is possible but not confirmed while the pope is in Madrid. 
Bad Bunny will perform on Saturday at football club Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium. 
The ​pope will meet young people in the square outside the Santiago Bernabéu ‌stadium, home to bitter rival Real Madrid.