After reiterating his views on wars, violence, polarization, and the disproportionate use of new technologies in his address at the Royal Palace, the Pope had three successive encounters with sick, marginalized, or vulnerable people, in addition to the moving event with young people.

  He also lamented that there are Christians who often allow themselves to be influenced “by attitudes marked by worldly ideologies or by political and economic positions that lead to unfair generalizations and misleading conclusions.”

  Leo XIV called on young people in Madrid to be the spark of a new humanity in the face of “the emptiness of indifference and conformity, the violence of war and lies.”

  He urged them to “seek the truth that endures in the face of the lies” found on social media and to “give society a new direction.”

  During his address to the King and Queen of Spain, the Prime Minister, other authorities, and the diplomatic corps, the Pope crafted a narrative rich in symbolism and messages to firmly address issues such as selfishness, inequality, and the confrontations plaguing the international community.

  He encouraged those with economic, political, and institutional responsibilities to take “a qualitative leap, a change of course in investments in schools, universities, and research, in local communities, and in civil society as a breeding ground for participation and cultural mediation.”

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