Madrid, Spain. Pope Leo told Spain’s parliament on Monday that escalating conflict, deepening polarization and widespread disregard for human rights had pushed the world into a profound crisis. He also repeated his opposition to increased European military spending, urging politicians to end wars and support migrants.
Address to parliament
In one of his most expansive political addresses to date, Leo said the world was undergoing “a profound spiritual and cultural crisis,” expressed through violence, polarization and mutual distrust.
The speech came hours after Israel and Iran renewed attacks on one another in what was described as the most serious test of a two-month ceasefire.
“Weapons can impose a temporary silence; but they can never build an authentic and lasting peace,” he said.
Rare papal speech in Spain
Leo’s speech, delivered in Spanish, was met with a seven-minute standing ovation from lawmakers. It was a rare papal address to a national legislature and the first by a pope to Spain’s parliament.
The address formed part of a week-long visit to Spain, during which the pontiff has met migrants and homeless people and called on national leaders to stop dividing their electorates.
Migration and international responsibility
The pope said insufficient support for migrants was challenging “the ethical foundation of the international order.”
He said countries should seek solutions that go beyond “the mere management of flows” and address the factors forcing people to leave their countries of origin, including war, poverty and climate change.
“The moral greatness of a nation is manifested above all in its capacity to accompany, protect, and love those lives that pass through the greatest fragility,” he told parliament.
Canary Islands visit
Leo’s tour of Spain is due to culminate with a meeting with migrants in the Canary Islands who crossed dangerous Atlantic waters to enter Europe.
According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, more than 3,000 people died in 2025 while trying to reach the Canary Islands, off the western coast of Africa, often in makeshift dinghies.