At 10:12 a.m. on Monday, the ITA Airways plane carrying the Holy Father from Rome touched down at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport. With that landing, the fourth International Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who has arrived in Spain with a message of faith, joy and hope for all, was officially inaugurated.
Reception by the King and Queen and the highest authorities
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain waited for the Pope at the foot of the stairs of the plane to welcome him to Spanish territory. Doña Letizia wore white, making use of the privilege enjoyed by Catholic queens to wear that color in the presence of the Pontiff.
Before leaving to receive the Holy Father, the King and Queen greeted the highest representatives of the Church in Spain in the authorities' lounge. The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez; the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso; and the Mayor of the city, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, also came to the airport to receive the Pope.
Inside the authorities' pavilion at the airport, the Pope greeted several Spanish families with children with disabilities. He spent some time with each of them, along with the King and Queen of Spain.
A gesture to the press at 10,000 meters above sea level
During the flight, Pope Leo XIV came to greet the 88 journalists from 55 media outlets from around the world who are accompanying him on this Apostolic Journey. He thanked them personally for their service and for their work, a gesture that did not go unnoticed among the professionals present on board.
The Pope shared with journalists his joy at setting foot on Spanish soil once again, while underlining the character and purpose of this trip:
«I have come many times to Spain, but the first time in this, in this mission. An apostolic visit to come, to meet the faithful, to celebrate the faith, to announce the message of Jesus Christ, but at the same time to greet everyone, all of society, because the Church has a message for everyone, as you will have seen, I think, very clearly in the encyclical letter that was published on May 25.»
The Pontiff also pointed out that this trip will be an opportunity to discover much enthusiasm, especially that of young people; an occasion to live the faith and joyfully proclaim the message of God's love.
Thanks from the organization to the sponsors
This morning, the trip's organizers also released a video thanking the sponsors of the papal visit.
