From June 6 to 12, 2026, Pope Leo XIV made his first apostolic journey to Spain. This was a momentous event in the history of the country and, especially, for the Catholic Church. The last papal visit to Spain was that of Benedict XVI fifteen years earlier for World Youth Day (2011).
Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife were the host cities welcoming the Holy Father. His message of hope for Spanish society is embodied in the motto chosen for the visit: “Lift up your eyes” (Jn 4:35). It is an invitation to look beyond daily concerns to discover the presence of God, to contemplate, to step outside ourselves, and to be open to encountering others, thus breaking down the individualistic tendencies and polarization that are destroying the social fabric.
The commemorative stamp features the logo for the apostolic journey, designed by María del Mar Chapa. It is a composition of human figures in various colors, linked and in motion, supporting each other and reaching towards the sky. This design, in the form of an open circle, expresses community, encounter, shared responsibility, mutual support, diversity in unity, openness, dialogue, and missionary zeal.
The references to each stage of the visit are prominent: the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid, the central tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which the Pope will bless, and the Atlantic Ocean, which surrounds the Canary Islands and recalls the global tragedy of migration. The Virgin – Our Lady of Almudena, patron saint of Madrid – acts as the axis and heart of the upward movement, reflecting the Marian devotion that characterizes the faith of the Catholic Church in Spain.
