Pope Leo XIV will travel to Spain from 6-12 June, in a high-profile visit that will include major religious ceremonies, political meetings, and a focus on migration, according to the Vatican’s official itinerary released on Wednesday.
A central moment of the trip will take place in Barcelona, where the pope will celebrate a Mass at the iconic Sagrada Familia on 10 June. The ceremony coincides with the 100th anniversary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudi, who was declared ‘venerable’ by the Catholic Church in 2025 — the first formal step toward sainthood. ALSO READ: Vatican puts ‘God’s architect’, the Catalan Antoni Gaudí, on path to sainthood.
During the visit, Leo will also inaugurate the basilica’s central Tower of Jesus Christ, the tallest and most prominent structure of the monument, which now reaches a height of 172.5 metres. The event is expected to draw significant crowds, with Barcelona Archbishop Cardinal Juan Jose Omella saying: ‘There is great anticipation.’ ALSO READ: Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia becomes world’s tallest church as central tower is crowned.
Despite the milestone, the basilica remains unfinished, and Spanish bishops have confirmed that Gaudí will not be canonised during the pope’s visit. ALSO READ: Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, elected as first American pope, to be Pope Leo XIV.
The trip will begin in Madrid, where Leo is scheduled to meet King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia on 6 June, followed by a large outdoor Mass in the city centre the next day. He will also hold talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on 8 June.
In addition, the pope will address Spain’s political institutions and take part in a youth prayer gathering recalling the last papal visit to the country — World Youth Day 2011, attended by Pope Benedict XVI.
Leo is also expected to meet members of the diocesan community at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and preside over a prayer vigil at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium on the evening of 9 June, ahead of the Sagrada Familia Mass.
The pope, who became leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May 2025, will then travel to the Canary Islands — a key gateway for migrants attempting to reach Europe from Africa.
There, he will visit Tenerife and Gran Canaria, meeting both migrants and organisations working with them, including at a reception centre in Tenerife and in Las Palmas. The visit reflects a strong continuity with the priorities of his predecessor, Pope Francis, for whom outreach to migrants and refugees was a defining issue. ALSO READ: PM Sánchez defends Spain’s immigration model, urging Europe to take note.
Leo has also positioned himself as a vocal advocate for the humane treatment of migrants, particularly in his native United States, amid tightening immigration policies under Donald Trump. ALSO READ: Rubio says US and Europe ‘belong together’, but warns immigration is ‘destabilising societies’.
Migration remains a central political issue in Spain. The government has promoted legal immigration and is currently pursuing an amnesty programme aimed at regularising around 500,000 undocumented migrants. ALSO READ: Spain to commence mass regularisation of undocumented migrants.
While the policy has been backed by a broad coalition including the Catholic Church and business leaders, it has drawn criticism from opposition groups, notably the far-right Vox, which has labelled the move an ‘attack on our identity’. ALSO READ: Far-right Vox party seeks to clarify its plans to ‘deport 8 million immigrants’.
Spain is home to around 10 million foreign-born residents — roughly one in five of the population — with many arriving from Latin America and Africa. ALSO READ: ‘We owe a lot to them’ – Sánchez hails benefits of ‘safe, orderly, regular migration’.
The Canary Islands, located about 105 kilometres from the African coast, have long served as a major entry point. Arrivals peaked in 2024 at nearly 47,000, though numbers have since dropped sharply, with just over 2,000 recorded in the first four months of 2026. ALSO READ: Irregular migration to Spain dropped by over 40% in 2025.
Security for the visit will be extensive, with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirming that more than 13,000 police and Guardia Civil officers will be deployed under a ‘maximum level’ operation.
The visit comes at a sensitive time for the Catholic Church in Spain, following a recent agreement between the government and Church authorities on compensation for victims of clerical sexual abuse, after years of controversy over transparency and accountability. ALSO READ: Spain signs landmark church-state deal to compensate victims of clergy abuse.
Leo is expected to deliver 22 speeches and homilies during the trip, which will be his third international journey of 2026 and the fourth since his election. Previous visits this year have included Monaco and a four-country tour of Africa.
A few weeks after leaving Spain, the pope is scheduled to travel to the Italian island of Lampedusa on 4 July — a symbolic visit to another major migrant entry point into Europe, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of US independence.
Main image: King Felipe VI and Letizia greeting Pope Leo XIV in Rome in May 2025 (Casa Real).
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Así será el viaje del papa a España: visitará a Sánchez, un centro de acogida en Canarias y una prisión en Barcelona.https://t.co/j6r6B7VBns pic.twitter.com/OFjowPugN6
— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) May 6, 2026
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