Pope’s historic speech to Spain’s parliament demands respect for migrants and gets 7-minute ovation

Pope Leo XIV delivers his speech as he meets with members of the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, in Madrid, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2026-06-08T09:51:25Z MADRID (AP) — Spanish lawmakers gave Pope Leo XIV a standing ovation on Monday after he called for respect for migrants’ rights and international law in a historic address to parliament that signaled a new level of acceptance of the Catholic Church in the overwhelmingly secular country.In the first-ever papal address to Spanish lawmakers, the American pope said a “moral renewal” was necessary in legislatures and public life to ensure respect for the inherent dignity of all people, including migrants, the unborn and the most vulnerable.“The moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to accompany, protect and love those lives that are most fragile,” Leo said.Speeches by popes to foreign legislatures are rare, since they can imply recognition of a religious leader by lawmakers. Pope Francis addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress in 2015, and Pope Benedict XVI addressed his native German Bundestag in 2011. That Leo was invited to speak to Las Cortes Generales showed a level of acceptance for the Catholic Church in a political setting that might have been unthinkable even a few years ago. The Catholic Church was a pillar of Gen. Francisco Franco’s dictatorship, enjoying broad control and influence over Spanish society, but that waned after democracy took root in the 1970s. While many Spaniards still identify as Catholic, religious observance has dropped sharply amid secularizing trends seen in other once-staunchly Christian countries. Read More And yet lawmakers gave Leo a 7-minute standing ovation with chants of “Viva el Papa!” — “Long live the pope!” Pope Leo XIV meets with members of the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, in Madrid, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Pope Leo XIV meets with members of the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, in Madrid, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) –> Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. –> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Leo’s weeklong visit to Spain — the first since Benedict visited in 2011 — has drawn large crowds, with an estimated 1.5 million people turning out for Mass on Sunday in a downtown plaza and 600,000 young people for a prayer vigil. Pope calls for peace as Israel and Iran trade strikesLeo’s speech came Monday as Israel and Iran traded fire, threatening to drag the Middle East back into a full-scale regional war. The pope repeated his demand for dialogue, “diplomatic courage” and the “the obligation of states to resolve their disputes through the peaceful means offered by international law.” He also lamented that European defense budgets were being built up as countries confront the threat posed by Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Trump administration’s threats to reduce financial and military support for the continent.“It is therefore a cause for concern that, in various parts of the world — and in Europe as well — rearmament is once again being presented as an almost inevitable response to the fragility of the international situation,” Leo said.He repeated his demand for “rigorous ethical oversight” of automated weapons systems created by artificial intelligence “so that decisions regarding life and death are never left to automated systems nor removed from the moral responsibility of the human person.” Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by the President of the Spanish Parliament Francina Armengol upon his arrival at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by the President of the Spanish Parliament Francina Armengol upon his arrival at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) –> Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. –> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Pope Leo XIV, left, arrives at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Pope Leo XIV, left, arrives at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) –> Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. –> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Pope urges dignity, acceptance and integration for migrants Spain’s Socialist-led government has bucked a trend in Europe and the United States by defending immigration on economic and humanitarian gr

Pope Leo XIV delivers his speech as he meets with members of the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, in Madrid, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2026-06-08T09:51:25Z MADRID (AP) — Spanish lawmakers gave Pope Leo XIV a standing ovation on Monday after he called for respect for migrants’ rights and international law in…

Pope Leo XIV delivers his speech as he meets with members of the Spanish Parliament at the Congress of Deputies, in Madrid, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2026-06-08T09:51:25Z MADRID (AP) — Spanish lawmakers gave Pope Leo XIV a standing ovation on Monday after he called for respect for migrants’ rights and international law in a historic address to parliament that signaled a new level of acceptance of the Catholic Church in the overwhelmingly secular country.In the first-ever papal address to Spanish lawmakers, the American…