“In the face of the emptiness of indifference and compliance, before the violence of war and lies, you must be the sparks of a new humanity,” he told the gathering.
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 US 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.
Some victims complained they were excluded from the meeting. They called for Leo to listen to them in a “truly inclusive” manner and for reparations to include legal recognition for victims, lifelong psychological care and adequate compensation.
“We don’t want a photo with the pope: we want rights and reparations for all the victims,” a collective of groups representing victims said in a statement.
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.
