Oudtshoorn, 9 Junie 2026 – Pope Leo arrived in the Canary Islands that have to manage the largest migration crisis due to their proximity to Africa. The Holy Father is in the Canary Islands accompanied by the Spanish Prime Minister. Pedro Sanchez.
In his first official act in the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa, Pope Leo XIV blessed a cross made from wood salvaged from boats carrying migrants to Spain’s shores and in a moment of profound prayer, the Pontiff entrusted this vulnerable population and those who assist them to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Stella Maris, patroness of the sea.
Pope Leo met with migrants and NGOs at a port in Spain’s Canary Islands dubbed the ‘dock of shame’ because of its squalid conditions during a spike in migrant arrivals in 2020. The Pope is reposted to have said history would “condemn those who allowed people fleeing war or poverty to suffer.”
During a meeting with migrant integration organizations at the Plaza del Cristo in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain, a Moroccan migrant told his story to the Pope: “My journey on a patera was not easy, on the first attempt 20 people died. In Tenerife a new life began for me, they taught me Spanish and I trained to be able to work. Today I feel happy working”.
The Pope will celebrate Mass on the island around noon today and after mass, he will tour the port area to greet the gathered faithful, before moving to Los Rodeos airport, where at around 2:30 PM a farewell ceremony will be held with the presence of King Felipe VI, prior to the plane’s departure for Rome.
