Day 4 of my Spain trip: From Madrid to Barcelona

I spend my last morning in Madrid meeting with volunteers who have selflessly given their time to help others and to whom I am sincerely grateful for their commitment.

The Pope emphasized the promptness of their response to the plea for aid. "Each of you contributed what you were able — your hearts, hands, ideas, talents, and smiles. May God reward you in a way only He knows!"

Pope Leo called on all Christians to share the leaven of selflessness with all people. He said: "‘Selflessness serves as leaven, fostering growth in the human, ethical, and spiritual aspects of society and it represents a defining characteristic of the ‘City of God’."

The second part commences.

Around midday, Pope Leo hit the second stop of his Apostolic Journey: Barcelona. And when he came to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, he started in on midday prayer — after all the people had greeted him in the streets.

Drawing on his passion for and understanding of languages, the Pope delivered his homily in a mixture of Catalan and Spanish, urging all to reflect on the representations of the Bride and the Body. He underlined that the Catholic community in Barcelona, which has a richness of diverse gifts, charisms, and individual narratives, serves as a representation of the image of the Bride.

And we are all joined together as one body in Christ. Like in a physical body, "there are members who exhibit greater strength and others who possess lesser strength." Inside the Church, some are more visible in their work, some more hidden.

In response, he called on all people to make unity their priority. "In unity lies our strength; it is the Spirit that brings us together."

"We are made for the infinite.

During his first evening in Barcelona, Pope Leo met with the young people at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, where he heard three testimonies about themes of conversion, mental health, violence, and suffering.

Subsequently, the Pope dedicated time to address each of their inquiries.

Pope Leo emphasized to Ferran that "we are made for the infinite. This is why every finite horizon, every accomplishment, every step - while they may bring us satisfaction - drives us on and encourages us to continue our search."

He urged Ferran and all other young people to reflect inward, to resist the pressure of life in such a fast lane.

Pope Leo in his response to Carmina, who had shared her depression, emphasized "this is a sign that there is something fundamentally flawed in a particular understanding of progress that imposes upon individuals pressures, expectations, and tensions that disrupt healthy equilibrium." He told her to "Seek Christ's Passion for solace during those dark hours."