Cardinal Cobo Says Pope Leo Drew 1.5 Million in Madrid, Cementing Moral Authority
Updated
Updated · Vatican News - English · Jun 9
Cardinal Cobo Says Pope Leo Drew 1.5 Million in Madrid, Cementing Moral Authority
3 articles · Updated · Vatican News - English · Jun 9
Summary
Cardinal José Cobo said Pope Leo XIV’s Madrid stop exceeded expectations, arguing the visit established the pontiff as a moral and ethical reference point for Spain and Europe before he continued on to Barcelona.
Nearly 1.5 million attended the Cibeles Mass and Corpus Christi procession, while 600,000 young people joined a prayer vigil, numbers Cobo said reflected not just turnout but a deeper search for God in secularized Spain.
Cobo pointed to a roughly 10-minute ovation in Parliament and the Pope’s appeal to look beyond Spain’s Catholic past as signs his message resonated across political divides and pushed the Church toward future-oriented reform.
On abuse, Cobo said Madrid has spent 10 years accompanying victims and building prevention measures, adding that cooperation with the government, bishops and dioceses aims to ensure no victim feels excluded.
He said the visit revitalized the Spanish Church, leaving concrete tasks on culture, politics, economics and lay participation that dioceses must now carry forward after the initial enthusiasm.