His image adorns posters, buses and subway screens, while a stage is being erected in the Plaza de Cibeles for a mass that could be attended by up to a million believers.
The seven-day visit will include Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. The program includes meetings with King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as well as pastoral activities among migrants, the homeless and volunteers.
The Pope will visit the port of Arguineguín in Gran Canaria, where he will talk to migrants who survived the dangerous Atlantic route from Africa, writes The Guardian.
Emphasizing the human rights of migrants, the pope’s views are closer to the Sánchez government, which is implementing the regularization of the status of around 500,000 undocumented people. The prime minister called the pope a moral compass in the fight against injustice.
The visit comes at a time of strong political divisions in Spain. The far-right party Vox strongly opposes regularization and advocates the “Spaniards first” policy, while the People’s Party (PP) increasingly accepts their views.
Vox announced that it would not support the pope’s speech in parliament, criticizing his openness on migration.
In addition to political tensions, Prime Minister Sánchez is also facing corruption scandals involving members of his family and party.
The arrival of the Pope, however, temporarily draws public attention to messages of faith, solidarity and human rights.
(Vijesti.ba / Fena)
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