Pope Leo XIV urges Canary Islands Church to embrace the Cross, deepen Eucharistic life, and serve migrants with unity and hope.
Newsroom (11/06/2026 Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV delivered a deeply pastoral and symbolic message to the Catholic community in the Canary Islands on Thursday, urging clergy and faithful alike to remain united in faith by embracing the Cross, strengthening their Eucharistic life, and serving society’s most vulnerable with compassion and solidarity.
The address came during a gathering at St. Anne’s Cathedral, where the Pope met bishops, priests, deacons, religious, seminarians, and pastoral workers. The encounter marked the penultimate stop of his Apostolic Journey to Spain, a visit notably centered on migration, social hardship, and the Church’s responsibility to accompany those on the margins.
A Church at the Crossroads of Migration
Situated off the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary Islands have become a critical gateway into Europe for migrants traveling from West Africa. In this demanding context, local Church communities have played a pivotal humanitarian and spiritual role, offering assistance and pastoral care to those arriving in precarious conditions.
Acknowledging these realities, Pope Leo praised the Church in the archipelago as a “living Church,” one that reflects both the “joys and hopes” and the “sorrows and anxieties” of the people it serves, especially the poor and afflicted.
He framed his visit not as an authority, but as a companion in faith. “With you I am a Christian, and for you, I am a bishop,” he said, emphasizing shared responsibility in building a Church rooted in Christ, the “cornerstone,” and committed to unity despite diversity.
The Cross as a Guiding Principle
At the heart of the Pope’s message was a call to embrace the Cross as the first essential attitude of Christian life. Drawing on imagery familiar to island culture, he likened the spiritual journey to crossing a vast sea—a journey that can only be completed by “carrying the cross of Christ.”
Referencing St. Augustine, he described humanity’s longing for a distant homeland and the challenge of navigating the “sea of this world.” The Cross, he said, is the means by which believers traverse life’s uncertainties and reach their final destination.
Pope Leo linked this call directly to the daily experiences of the Canary Islands faithful, praising their work as “Good Samaritans” who help carry the burdens of those suffering due to poverty, displacement, and hardship.
He also pointed to local witness, highlighting the Venerable Antonio Vicente González, known as the “Good Shepherd of the Canary Islands,” as an example of a life transformed through fidelity to the Gospel and the Cross.
Eucharistic Life as a Source of Unity
The second key pillar of the Pope’s message was the cultivation of a robust Eucharistic spirituality. He referenced a long-standing local tradition in which flower petals are scattered before the Blessed Sacrament during the Solemnity of the Ascension—a gesture symbolizing the spiritual gifts poured out by Christ.
This tradition, he noted, underscores a central truth: Christ is the heart of Christian life. The Eucharist, as the “source and summit” of faith, not only unites believers with God but also with one another, forming a single body rooted in love.
Through active participation in the Eucharist, the faithful express unity in concrete ways. Pope Leo urged the community to deepen this spiritual practice as a path toward greater ecclesial communion, echoing Christ’s prayer “that they may all be one.”
Solidarity as Faith in Action
Unity, the Pope stressed, must find expression in tangible acts of solidarity. He highlighted Christian charity as inseparable from Eucharistic life, calling on believers to extend the love they receive from Christ to others—especially the most vulnerable.
He pointed specifically to acts of hospitality, listening, and care, invoking the Gospel passage that identifies service to the needy as service to Christ himself: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and visiting the sick and imprisoned.
In the context of the Canary Islands, this message carries particular urgency. The ongoing arrival of migrants has placed considerable pressure on local communities, but it has also revealed the Church’s capacity to respond with generosity and compassion.
Navigating a New Era with Hope
In closing, Pope Leo encouraged the Church in the Canary Islands to remain steadfast amid the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world. He called for perseverance rooted in faith, hope, and charity—virtues he described as “three stars” guiding believers toward God.
He entrusted the community to the protection of the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), invoking her guidance for those navigating both literal and spiritual journeys.
“Put out into the deep,” he urged, echoing the Gospel call to trust courageously in God’s presence, even amid challenges.
As the Apostolic Journey to Spain nears its conclusion, the Pope’s message in the Canary Islands stands as a powerful reflection on unity, resilience, and the enduring mission of the Church: to be a sign of hope and solidarity in a world marked by division and displacement.
- Raju Hasmykh with files from Vatican News
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