Giant crowds greet Pope Leo at public mass in Madrid, Spain

The pontiff praises Madrid as a beacon of inclusion as about 1.2 million people gather for Sunday mass.An oceanic crowd has filled the streets of the Spanish capital Madrid with chants, cheers and applause to greet Pope Leo XIV on the second day of a weeklong apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands.The Vatican and local organisers said about 1.2 million people braved the heat to be present in the landmark Cibeles Square on Sunday in what is expected to be the largest event during his visit to the country.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US says Pope-Rubio talks underscore ‘strong relationship’ with Vaticanlist 2 of 3Iran war day 70: US, Iran trade fire in Hormuz amid ceasefire tensionslist 3 of 3Rubio meets Pope Leo: Can they heal White House-Vatican rift?end of listThrongs of people pressed along barriers near the square – best known as the rallying point for Madrid" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="1256" data-entity-type="organization">Real Madrid football fans celebrating the club’s titles – waving flags and shouting “Long live the pope”, as Leo arrived in his white popemobile for the event. Some tossed flower petals marking his arrival.“May Madrid continue to be a welcoming and inclusive city, where social life is inspired by true human values,” the pontiff wrote in the guestbook as he was handed the key to the city by its mayor.Faithful attend a mass held by Pope Leo XIV at Plaza de Cibeles, during his apostolic journey in Madrid, Spain [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]Leo began his trip on Saturday, ⁠meeting migrants and the homeless and attending a vigil with about 600,000 young people in Madrid. His June 6-12 visit also includes stops in Barcelona and the Canary Islands, where he will meet migrants and refugees who ⁠risked their lives crossing there from West Africa.He said he hoped the visit, his first to a European Union country outside Italy, ⁠⁠would set an example to the world about respecting “every ⁠⁠human being” and urged leaders to stop dividing electorates.