Pope Leo XIV visited a Church-run welfare centre for homeless and vulnerable people in Madrid on Saturday, using one of the first stops of his Spain visit to call for dignity, solidarity and a rejection of prejudice against migrants and the poor.
The pontiff visited the CEDIA 24 Horas social project in the Lucero district of the Spanish capital, a Caritas-run centre that operates around the clock for people experiencing homelessness and other forms of social exclusion. The facility provides shelter, meals, social guidance, psychological support and basic services.
During the visit, Pope Leo greeted men who had slept at the centre and met with staff, volunteers and beneficiaries in its canteen. He thanked the workers for their service and praised the centre as a place where vulnerable people are treated with respect rather than suspicion.
One beneficiary, identified only as Khadry, told the Pope how he had found dignity and acceptance at the centre after arriving in Spain undocumented from Senegal in 2020. As a symbol of his journey and integration, he gave the pontiff a copy of his Spanish identity card.
Caritas said the CEDIA 24 Horas centre assisted 2,562 people in 2025. The organisation, which is funded by the Catholic Church, works with people facing homelessness, poverty, migration-related hardship and other forms of vulnerability.
In his address, Pope Leo warned against political and economic prejudices that lead to unfair generalisations about people on the margins of society. He said Christians must respond to poverty and exclusion through personal encounter, compassion and practical support.
The Pope also referred to a remark by Cardinal José Cobo Cano of Madrid, saying, “Anyone who is in Madrid is from Madrid.” Leo added that he, too, felt welcomed “as another Madrilenian,” describing the city as a large family.
The visit formed part of the Pope’s week-long apostolic journey to Spain, which also includes major events in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Reuters reported that Leo began the trip by meeting migrants and homeless people and later urged political leaders to stop using divisive rhetoric.
Although Leo had visited Spain many times before as a priest, this is his first trip to the country as pontiff and the first papal visit to Spain in 15 years.
