Pope Leo XIV Holds Open-Air Mass in Madrid, Attracts 1.2 Million

(CNA Madrid, 7th, Combined Foreign Reports) Pope Leo XIV of the Roman Catholic Church held an open-air Mass in the Spanish capital Madrid on Sunday, with an estimated 1.2 million people gathering in the city's main square and surrounding streets. Leo XIV told the crowd that God is with the poor and the abandoned in society.

According to Reuters, crowds packed the barriers near Madrid's landmark Cibeles Square, waving flags and shouting "Long live the Pope." As Leo XIV arrived in his white popemobile, some people threw flower petals in welcome.

The Vatican and local organizers stated that approximately 1.2 million people filled Cibeles Square and its surrounding streets.

In his homily, Leo XIV urged the crowd to practice their Catholic faith by helping others.

He said that God "understands the feelings of the poor, the oppressed, the lonely, and the abandoned." (Editor: Chen Zhengjian) 1150607