Pope Leo XIV will travel to Spain from June 6–12, with a planned visit to the Canary Islands—one of Europe’s main migrant entry points—as part of his first trip to a European Union country outside Italy, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.
During the final two days of the visit, the pope will travel to Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where he is scheduled to meet migrants and organizations assisting those arriving via dangerous Atlantic crossings from Africa’s western coast.
The visit comes amid ongoing migration pressures in the region. According to NGO Caminando Fronteras, more than 3,000 people died in 2025 attempting to reach the Canary Islands, often in makeshift boats.
The trip also coincides with a major policy move by Spain’s government under Pedro Sanchez, which has introduced a one-year mass amnesty program allowing an estimated 500,000 immigrants to apply for legal status.
Beyond the Canary Islands, Pope Leo’s itinerary includes stops in Madrid, where he will meet King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as well as address the Royal Palace and the Spanish Parliament.
He will also visit Montserrat in Catalonia to meet a historic Benedictine community, and travel to Barcelona to inaugurate the newest tower of the Sagrada Familia, which has become the world’s tallest church.
Additional events include a prayer vigil with young people, an outdoor Mass at Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, and a meeting with Spain’s Catholic bishops.
The visit marks the pope’s fourth international trip outside Italy, following earlier journeys to Monaco, Lebanon and Turkey. It also comes as he completes his first year leading the Catholic Church, during which he has taken an increasingly outspoken stance on global issues.
Last month, during a four-nation Africa tour, he criticized global leadership, saying the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.”
The Vatican also confirmed that Pope Leo will travel again in July to Lampedusa, another key migrant arrival point in Europe, underscoring migration as a central theme of his papacy.
