Pope speaks to Spanish parliament.
Pope Leo XIV addresses Spanish parliament, advocating for migrants' rights and ethical AI oversight.
Pope Leo XIV made history on June 8, 2026, becoming the first pope ever to address the Spanish parliament. Speaking before a joint session of the Cortes Generales in Madrid, he demanded respect for migrants' rights and called for strict oversight of AI weapons systems. Lawmakers gave him a minutes-long standing ovation AP.
The speech marked a striking moment for a largely secular country. While roughly 60–70% of Spaniards identify as Catholic, regular church attendance is at historic lows Interlochen Public Radio. Yet both the ruling Socialists and the conservative opposition rose to applaud the American-born pope.
Leo's Core Demand: Protect the Most Vulnerable
Leo told parliament that a nation's true greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. "The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile," he said Interlochen Public Radio. He urged Spain and the European Union to move toward what he called a "hospitality-first" approach to migration law.
The pope is scheduled to end his seven-day Spain tour in the Canary Islands, a major entry point for migrants crossing the Atlantic from Africa Anadolu Agency. There he plans to meet migrants directly at the port of ArguineguÃn. The visit is seen as a deliberate act of pressure on both Madrid and Brussels.
AI Weapons and the Spanish Conquest Draw Sharp Words
Leo did not stop at migration. He called for "rigorous ethical oversight" of automated weapons systems built using artificial intelligence wfmz.com. His remarks added to growing pressure on EU lawmakers debating how to regulate so-called "killer robots" under the bloc's AI Act.
He also referenced Spain's colonial past, citing the Spanish conquest and the slave trade as causes for concern daytondailynews.com. He pointed to the 16th-century School of Salamanca — specifically the philosopher Francisco de Vitoria — to argue that the universal rights of all humans, including indigenous peoples and non-citizens, are not a modern idea but a Spanish one ClickOnDetroit.
A Secular Spain Gives a Pope a Standing Ovation
The applause surprised many observers. Spain's Catholic Church was a pillar of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, which lasted from 1939 to 1975. After Franco died, Spain secularized fast. Spain now ranks fourth globally in political polarization, behind only Argentina, Colombia, and the United States, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2026 Trenton Monitor.
Historian Massimo Faggioli described what he called a "rock star effect" — politicians using Leo's moral authority to project unity in a fractured country France 24. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a self-declared atheist, personally invited Leo and met with him at the Vatican on May 27 to finalize the visit CathNews NZ.
Leo's Visit Anchored by a Landmark Apology for Slavery
The parliament speech built on Leo's first encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas*, released May 25. The 43,000-word document issued a landmark apology for the Church's role in slavery and called for the "disarming" of artificial intelligence Reuters. It set the tone for his entire Spain trip.
Leo arrived in Madrid on June 6, welcomed by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the Royal Palace. In his arrival speech, he urged Spaniards to stop "fanning the flames of polarization" PBS. The parliament address on June 8 was his most high-profile moment yet — and, according to Archbishop Luis Argüello, the invitation to speak was "unanimous" between both chambers Trenton Monitor.
Sentiment
NeutralPublishers
10
Articles
10
Reach
10
