'Joy, faith, love': giant crowd flocks to pope's Madrid mass

The crowd packs Alcala street as Pope Leo XIV walks holding the monstrance containing the sacred host during the Corpus Christi procession following the Holy Mass held in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, on June 7, 2026. [AFP]

A jubilant crowd of Catholic faithful filled Madrid with chants, cheers and applause on Sunday as an open-air mass by Pope Leo XIV imbued the Spanish capital with religious fervour.

Cibeles Square -- best known as the rallying point for Real Madrid fans celebrating their club's titles -- was transformed into a giant communion of a different kind on day two of the pontiff's visit to Spain.

A human tsunami -- numbering more than 1.2 million people according to organisers -- braved the heat. Many lay on the bare pavements from the early morning to get a better spot.

Crowds lined the streets crying out "Long live the pope!" as Leo saluted the faithful from his popemobile before the mass.

Laura Peralta, a 46-year-old school councillor, had travelled from the southern region of Andalusia, determined not to miss the occasion of "excitement, joy, faith and love".

Leo had called for an end to "polarising narratives" as a week-long state visit expected to focus on migration and social issues began on Saturday, a source of inspiration for Peralta.

"They are good teachings, whether we believe in him or not. They are humanitarian teachings," Peralta said of Leo, the fourth pope she has seen after John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis.

Groups of all ages converged on the city centre to the sound of drums and guitars, with hardy pilgrims lugging rucksacks and camping material on their backs.

Teresa Valdecantos, a human resources employee in her 50s, arrived propped up on crutches but was undeterred. "Who doesn't have pain? I've come with a good chair," she told AFP.

The authorities had prepared a vast logistical and security operation to secure the mass and the ensuing procession led by Leo.

Central Madrid was decked out with banners bearing the pope's face and thousands of white and yellow carnations, matching the Vatican flag's colours.

As the solemn moment of the Eucharist got underway, the noise gave way to a reverent silence.

Hundreds of priests who had assembled handed out the consecrated wafers to the attendees with the help of volunteers who shaded them with white umbrellas.

"Seeing so many people, so many young people, helped me a lot to pray. We were singing, answering prayers, it was a special moment," Lourdes Madrigal, 47, told AFP.

Miguel Moreno was unable to see the ceremony first-hand but thought watching it on a giant screen went "perfectly, like in any church, like any Sunday".

"It's an effort, but it's worth it. Lots of people want to experience that," the 50-year-old lawyer said, praising the city for a "brilliant" organisation.

Many onlookers had hats and fans to shield themselves from the sun. Although water bottles were handed out, several people fainted and had to be evacuated, an AFP journalist saw.

Closer to the high-security perimeter, a crowd of worshippers had despaired as police officers blocked their route.

"We want to see the pope!" they chanted in the small streets surrounding Cibeles Square, brandishing their QR access codes on sheets of paper and phones.

"I have come to meet Jesus Christ through the words of the pope," said 30-year-old police officer Marta Perez.

"He's come to do good, with all his love," she said of Leo's firm stance in favour of peace and migrants.

Catholicism has played a central role in Spanish life for centuries, but traditional religious observance has declined for decades in line with a trend across Europe.

Yet for Maria Ferez, 33, the huge attendance proved that "the Church is alive".