Spanish Cardinal Jos\u00e9 Cobo confirmed Jan. 9 in Rome that Madrid, Barcelona, \u200b\u200band the Canary Islands are likely destinations in 2026 for an apostolic journey to Spain by Pope Leo XIV.<\/p>\n
After concluding a meeting with the substitute for general affairs of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Archbishop Edgar Pe\u00f1a Parra, Cobo confirmed the pontiff\u2019s interest in visiting Spain: \u201cYes, I believe the pope is interested [in making the trip]. Madrid, Barcelona, \u200b\u200band the Canary Islands are the first locations that have been considered.\u201d<\/p>\n
The meeting was also attended by the archbishop of Barcelona, \u200b\u200bCardinal Juan Jos\u00e9 Omella; the archbishop of Valladolid and president of the Spanish Bishops\u2019 Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) Archbishop Luis Arg\u00fcello; the auxiliary bishop of Toledo and secretary general of the CEE, Bishop Francisco C\u00e9sar Garc\u00eda Mag\u00e1n; and the bishop of the Canary Islands, Bishop Jos\u00e9 Mazuelos.<\/p>\n
The cardinal emphasized that this trip is an initiative of Leo XIV: \u201cHe asked us for a first draft, like the initial outline of this,\u201d which he will \u201cfine tune or make corrections in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to visiting the capital and largest city of the country, Pope Leo XIV\u2019s presence in Barcelona could be related to the beatification process for the architect of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Basilica, Antoni Gaud\u00ed. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church in November 2010.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, his visit to the Canary Islands would fulfill a desire expressed by his predecessor, Pope Francis, to visit the archipelago, which receives thousands of migrants from Africa every year.<\/p>\n
In this regard, Cobo noted that \u201cthe phenomenon of migration is an issue that Pope Leo has already addressed at the beginning of his pontificate.\u201d He added that we are living through a \u201cvery important moment to make the voice of migrants heard\u201d in Spain.<\/p>\n
At the meeting with Pe\u00f1a, an extensive list of specific invitations from dioceses and religious organizations was also presented. \u201cThere are a thousand invitations,\u201d the cardinal said, joking: \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t wear the Holy Father out, because if we take him to Spain and tire him out too much, he might not want to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cobo expressed his hope that Leo XIV would \u201cexperience the work of the Church in Spain\u201d and receive a warm reception before adding: \u201cI believe this shouldn\u2019t be his last trip.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cobo also confirmed that \u201cthere have been negotiations\u201d with the Spanish government, although official invitations have not yet been extended.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpain has long been in need of and has continuously requested the pope to come. The fact that this possibility is now open is a source of hope and joy for everyone, both for the civil authorities and, of course, for the Church in Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.<\/p>\n