Pope venerates the Virgin of Almudena, speaks of tearing down walls
June 08, 2026
Pope Leo XIV visited Almudena Cathedral in Madrid this evening and venerated the Virgin of Almudena, Madrid’s patroness (video).
In his address, Pope Leo recalled that “this millennia-old Marian devotion, so cherished by all of you, is a sign of the Christian roots that characterize you and give you life, but also of the great hope which continues to motivate you to move forward.”
The Pope explained:
It was thanks to a collapsed wall that the Mother was reunited with her people. This event is providential, because it points to the path that Jesus, through his Most Holy Mother, invites us to follow.
Initially, when a wall collapses, it makes a clamor, creating chaos and disorder. However, it also opens up spaces, restores possibilities and fosters renewal. In our societies today, there are still many walls that do not protect but rather divide, separate and isolate. At times, we prefer the comfort of merely shoring them up and, more often than not, simply ignoring them, because we fear that tearing them down will mean having to face situations that we would rather avoid.
“Our Lady of Almudena, through her presence and the assurance of her protection, says something different: to build something new, beautiful and lasting, we must be willing to tear down walls,” he continued. “In order to set out on the path again, we need spaces that allow us to catch a glimpse of the horizon.”
Pope Leo concluded:
Making my own some words from the hymn dedicated to her, I entrust you to the powerful help of her maternal love:
Holy Mary of Almudena,
Virgin and Mother of the Redeemer,
Queen of Heaven, Mother of Love,
under your mantle, simple Virgin,
your children seek protection;
loving Mother, Temple of God,
protect us, Lady, and help us to be
builders of peace and reconciliation.Amen.
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