The Pope thanked Spain and King Felipe VI on Sunday after his apostolic visit, speaking during the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican. He said he was grateful to the Lord for allowing him to make the journey to Spain, and he thanked the Spanish people for welcoming him with enthusiasm and devotion.
He also singled out “His Majesty the King”, along with the bishops, the communities he visited and the wider Church in Spain. He ended that part of his remarks by saying, “May God always bless Spain!”
The Pope and part of the ecclesiastical delegation returned to Rome on Friday night after the visit. They travelled on a Falcon jet provided by King Felipe VI, after the original return plan changed because the planned Iberia flight developed technical problems.
The aircraft issue meant the Pope got off the plane and the King offered the Falcon for the return journey. The remaining passengers from the original flight, mainly Vatican delegation members and journalists, returned on another plane arranged by Iberia.
In the same Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV also said he was close to the people of the Philippines after a strong earthquake. He prayed for the dead and their families, the injured and everyone suffering because of the disaster. He also greeted members of the International Dialogue Commission between the Disciples of Christ and the Catholic Church in English.
He then referred to recent beatifications, including diocesan priests Laura Dobra and Giovanni Bula from Moravia, and Giovanni Schwierz and eight Polish Salesian priest companions. He said they were beatified as martyrs because they were victims of persecution by totalitarian regimes due to their faithfulness to Christ. He also mentioned the beatification in Mato Grosso, Brazil, of Father Nazareno Lanchotti, whom he described as a martyr who defended the poorest in the name of the Gospel.