The schedule for Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain, set for June 6 to 12, has undergone a significant change. Initially, it was announced that the Pontiff would stay overnight in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, but it has now been confirmed that he will do so in Tenerife, specifically at the episcopal see in La Laguna, between Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12. This modification aims to optimize the logistics of his stay on the island.
According to the latest information, still awaiting official confirmation by the end of April, the Pope will sleep in the religious capital of the Diocese Nivariense. On Friday, June 12, at nine in the morning, he will depart from the Bishopric via San Agustín street towards Viana and then to the Plaza del Cristo. At this location, a meeting with a thousand migrants and a visit to the Sanctuary are planned. It is being evaluated whether the route through Viana will be done on foot or in a small vehicle.
After his visit to the Plaza del Cristo, Leo XIV will travel to the Las Raíces migrant reception center. Subsequently, he will proceed by car along the highway to La Salle Avenue in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. At the La Salle-San Ildefonso school, the Pope will switch to his Popemobile to tour Galcerán Bridge, Plaza Militar, Plaza de Weyler, Méndez Núñez, El Pilar, Villalba Hervás, Alameda del Duque de Santa Elena, and Avenida Marítima, concluding his journey at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
From noon onwards, Pope Leo XIV will preside over a Eucharist of thanksgiving for his visit to Spain at the port of Santa Cruz. The attendance of the King and Queen of Spain and the Prime Minister is expected. The ceremony is estimated to last ninety minutes, followed by half an hour for the Pope to greet the approximately 50,000 attendees. Finally, he will travel to Los Rodeos Airport to return to the Vatican.
These agenda modifications highlight the Church's social commitment, with two planned meetings with migrants in Tenerife: one in the Plaza del Cristo and another at Las Raíces. This approach seeks to address the concerns of those who recalled Pope Francis's desire to pray before the cayucos in La Restinga, El Hierro, where 169 people recently arrived at La Estaca port.
