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Pope Leo XIV landed in Spain on Saturday knowing he was not the only major draw in Madrid that weekend.
Puerto Rican performer Bad Bunny is midway through a 10-concert Spanish tour, with two shows scheduled in the capital during the pope's arrival. Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane, Leo addressed the situation directly.
"If they are confronted with the question 'Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go to see the pope?' I think many will see Bad Bunny," Leo said. "But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope. And that says something, you know."
According to the Associated Press, Leo said he understood that young adults are sensing a lack of meaning in their lives and expressed hope that his visit might help awaken something in them.
The weeklong trip will take Leo from Madrid to Barcelona and then to the Canary Islands. He arrives in a country that is politically divided and where the Catholic Church carries a complex and sometimes contentious history. Conservatives in Spain have increasingly distanced themselves from the church, according to reporting by The Washington Post.
Leo was also asked about several other topics during the flight. When reporters raised news that his beloved Chicago Bears are moving forward with a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, and asked if he had words of consolation for Illinois, he did not take the bait. "That's out of my pay (scale)," he said.
On the subject of the upcoming World Cup, Leo said he would root for the United States. But when asked whether he supported Real Madrid or Barcelona in Spain's biggest soccer rivalry, he made a distinction between his papal role and his personal loyalties. "The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is Real Madrid," he said, using his birth name to draw the line.
Leo's visit comes at a moment of tension within Spanish Catholicism. The church faces scrutiny over historical scandals, and political polarization has complicated its standing with younger generations and conservatives alike.
