Spanish saints are examples in our own dark night, Pope tells nation’s leaders
June 06, 2026
Pope Leo XIV told Spanish lawmakers today that three Spanish saints—St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582), and St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1566)—can assist the people of our own age, which he characterized as “so dark.”
After arriving in Madrid this morning, Pope Leo traveled to the Royal Palace, where he took part in the official welcome ceremony (video). He then paid a midday courtesy visit to King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia before addressing the king and queen, civil leaders, and members of the diplomatic corps (video).
Recalling the ancient origins of the Church in Spain, Pope Leo said that “I come among you to affirm, encourage and instill a renewed fidelity to the Gospel among believers, as well as a deeper reconciliation and collaboration among the various elements of this nation.”
“After all, your own history suggests that a culture of encounter, not confrontation, is what fosters stability and prosperity,” he continued. “In reality, the message of peace, which at present unfortunately strikes some as naïve and others as confrontational, is welcomed by those who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies, but are rather open to the truth.”
In his talk, the Pontiff spoke about the three Spanish Renaissance saints.
“Upon interpreting the transformations and weathering the tensions that make our age so dark, we can find it helpful to consider the theme of night, so dear to Saint John of the Cross, whose Jubilee Year we are celebrating,” he said. “Paradoxically, in his thirst for light, he learned to appreciate darkness—the “happy night” (The Dark Night of the Soul, 3)—as the time when the soul is freed from what it presumed to know and possess.”
The Pope added:
Even today, what most frightens us, what in many people triggers the darkness of reason and the violence of emotions, is the unknown, before which we may feel overwhelmed by a sense of being lost without a map, as if we have lost our bearings. This is why, even in public life, we need men and women who can perceive light in the darkness: a new beginning, like the dawn of a truth that as yet blinds us, but which—if we trust and find peace—will gently lead us toward itself. “O night that guided! O night more lovely than the dawn! O night that brought together Beloved and beloved, beloved transformed in the Beloved!” (ibid., 5).
Recalling St. Teresa of Ávila, the Pope said:
Saint Teresa describes this same process using the image of the interior castle. As one moves from room to room toward the innermost chamber—that is, toward one’s own heart, the sanctuary of truth—the space enlarges, the mind opens, challenges are overcome, tensions dissipate, others find their place, and the universe becomes a home. This is not an escape into the self, but a radical openness to the Totus Alius et Semper Novus [Wholly Other and Always New] achieved when we return to ourselves. This dimension of the human person is the reason why religious freedom and freedom of conscience must be protected.
Today, the temptation to gain popularity by fanning the flames of polarization seems to have grown rather than diminished, and human dignity continues to be violated. This is why we need culture, interiority, and free quality education; we need transcendence. And yet, even in these dark nights, men and women who are faithful to the truth have been driven to advance from one room to another until justice and peace embrace in their conscience. It is through their freedom that we learn to be free ...
For the love of truth, I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history, so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity.
Turning to the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Pope Leo said:
As another noble son of this land taught us, trials and failures offer an opportunity for reevaluation. Ignatius of Loyola possessed this kind of audacity, giving credence to the desolations and consolations of his heart through an exercise of discernment and imagination that led him to prefer peace over arms and the saints to the powerful. He understood that the good to which he was drawn was not illusory, and so his crisis became instead a grace. The same can happen with the “novelties” that unsettle us today and often cause division.
“Your Majesties, Royal Highnesses, ladies and gentlemen, I express my gratitude to your country for its faithful adherence to international law and multilateralism, which is reflected in an active commitment to peace and solidarity among peoples,” the Pontiff concluded. “At the same time, I encourage you to cultivate as well dialogue and civic friendship within your own country, to take into account the perspectives of the poor and the young when envisioning the future, to harmonize the claims for autonomy and unity, and to advance the cause of unity in Europe—not in opposition to other powers, but as a gift to the entire human family. God bless Spain!”
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