MADRID - Pope Leo on Saturday urged global leaders to stop 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, who has angered U.S. President Donald Trump by criticising his anti-immigration policies and the Iran war, visited a Church-run shelter for the homeless in Madrid and will meet migrants in the Canary Islands during the five-stop visit.

He said before touching down in Spain he hoped the tour would 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 a speech before King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

"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 which magnifies prejudices and weakens critical thinking, Leo said.

He drew on Spain's history as an example of peaceful co-habitation between religions and cultures, making reference to how Christians, Muslims and Jews cooperated during medieval times to enhance 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," he said.

HUGE CROWDS EXPECTED

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 from which he was seen again doing the "6-7" hand gesture popular among young people.

Huge gatherings are expected in the coming days for the first visit to Spain by a pope since 2011.

A 2025 survey by Fundacion SM found there has been a surge in interest in Catholicism by young people in Spain, with 28.8% declaring themselves practicing Catholics in 2025 compared to 17.6% in 2020.

"When I see the pope doing the '6-7', it feels familiar. I think there will be more and more Catholics because of him," said Perla Garcia, 15, as she waited for Leo to attend a vigil for young people.

In the afternoon, Leo visited a homeless shelter where he heard the stories of migrants who had been helped to settle when they first arrived in Madrid.

In sharp contrast to many leading Western powers, not least Trump's United States, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government has opened a mass amnesty programme, allowing an estimated 500,000 immigrants to apply for legal status.

Khadry, a migrant from Senegal who gave the pope a replica of his Spanish residency card, described feeling lost and alone when he first arrived in Spain.

"I had left everything behind and didn't know where to start. Today I have a job, I've sorted out my immigration status, and I want to support others who arrive here just as I did," he said.

COMPETING WITH BAD BUNNY

The pope's visit coincides with 10 days of concerts by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, and local church officials have indicated 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.

Leo joked on his flight from Rome that he was competing with Bad Bunny for young people's attention.

"If they were confronted with the question: do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the pope, I think many will go to see Bad Bunny," he said, before adding: "But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope."

Leo is scheduled to give more than 20 speeches during his first trip to a European Union country outside Italy, and will be the first pope to address the Spanish parliament.

During his June 6-12 trip, the first U.S. head of the Catholic Church will also inaugurate a new tower in Barcelona's famed Sagrada Familia basilica and will meet survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, the Vatican said, adding that further details will be provided after the meeting.

A 2023 report by Spain's human rights ombudsman estimated hundreds of thousands of victims of clergy abuse there over decades, echoing similar scandals that have shaken the Church internationally.

In a speech welcoming Leo to Spain, King Felipe acknowledged the pain caused by the cases of abuse and said the pope's "clarity and firmness" were "essential in the process of healing and reparation for the harm inflicted."

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee and Corina Pons; Writing by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Gavin Jones and Aidan Lewis)

Pope Leo XIV signs a guest book during his apostolic journey, in Madrid, Spain, June 6, 2026. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS Simone Risoluti Reuters

A banner depicting Pope Leo XIV as police prepares security operations ahead of his upcoming visit, in Madrid, Spain, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Mohammed Salem Reuters

People walk near banners during preparations ahead of Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit, in Madrid, Spain, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Mohammed Salem Reuters

People walk near the altar from which Pope Leo XIV is expected to lead a Mass, during preparations ahead of Pope Leo XIV's upcoming visit, at Cibeles Palace in Madrid, Spain, June 5, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem Mohammed Salem Reuters

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 1:55 PM.

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