Pope's Official Spanish Reception
Pedro Sánchez and Fernando Clavijo Lead Official Reception for Pope in Gran Canaria
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Pope Leo XIV arrived in Gran Canaria on Thursday, June 11, marking the first-ever papal visit to the Canary Islands. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and regional President Fernando Clavijo led the official reception at Gando Air Base at 10:50 a.m., according to El Diario.
The Chicago-born pontiff — elected in May 2025 — framed the visit around Europe's deadliest migration route. He warned: "We cannot kneel before God and despise our brother... Woe to us if we turn the seas into cemeteries where hope also dies," according to RTVE. An estimated 1,172 people died or went missing on the Atlantic route in 2025 alone, according to Head Topics.
At Arguineguín, a "Dock of Shame" Becomes a Port of Hope
At 11:40 a.m., the Pope visited the Port of Arguineguín — once dubbed the "dock of shame." In 2020, over 2,300 migrants were crowded there in dire conditions. On Thursday, the Pope met 1,800 migrants and volunteers. He listened to four personal testimonies. He then blessed a "Cross of the Atlantic" built from the wood of a shipwrecked patera boat, according to La Vanguardia.
The local Church has worked to rename the site "Puerto Esperanza" — Port of Hope. Bishop José Mazuelos said: "We want to show the charitable reality of the Church and give a face to the numbers." The visit comes as arrivals to the Canary Islands have dropped 71% in early 2026, falling to just 3,200 between January and May, compared to a record 46,843 in all of 2024, according to Head Topics.
Sánchez and Clavijo Clash Over Who Stands at the Pope's Side
The visit sparked a sharp political fight. Clavijo, the Canary Islands president, accused Sánchez of hypocrisy for appearing at Arguineguín. He said: "It is inopportune and a provocation for Sánchez to join the visit... he didn't show his face when the 'dock of shame' was at its worst," according to Levante EMV.
Tensions ran deeper over protocol. A royal decree placed Minister Ángel Víctor Torres — not Clavijo — ahead of regional leaders in the official greeting line. Clavijo called this "caciquismo" — political bossism. Analysts said the dispute turned the papal visit into a microcosm of Spain's wider tensions between the central government and regional authorities, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
A Mass for 50,000 and a Two-Day Schedule Across Two Islands
After meeting the mayor of Las Palmas and visiting Santa Ana Cathedral at 16:00, the Pope led a Mass at Estadio de Gran Canaria at 18:30. Between 40,000 and 50,000 people were expected to attend, according to Diario de Mallorca. The total cost of his seven-day Spain trip is estimated at 25 million euros — 45% funded by private donors, 30% by the Church, and 20% by regional governments.
On Friday, June 12, the Pope moved to Tenerife. He visited the Las Raíces Migrant Center in La Laguna at 09:30, then held a closing Mass at the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. His departure for Rome was set for 15:00. The visit coincided exactly with the EU Migration and Asylum Pact entering into force — a timing Clavijo said "goes exactly against" the Pope's message of welcome, according to La Opinión de Zamora.
A Global Message Aimed Far Beyond Spain's Shores
International media read the visit as a political statement. The Associated Press and Reuters described Leo XIV as an "American antagonist to the far-right," using Spain to send a message to the entire European Union. A poll by *40dB* found that 57.1% of Spaniards support the Pope's pro-migrant stance, according to El Correo Web.
The Canary Islands trip is seen as a preview of the Pope's planned visit to Lampedusa in July 2026 — the other major gateway for migrants into Europe. The Spanish leg alone brought over 450,000 registered participants to official events. Spain expects a 150 million euro economic return from the full seven-day journey, according to La Opinión de Murcia.
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