Over a million attend Pope Leo XIV's Mass in Madrid, walk flower-carpeted route in centuries-old tradition

MADRID (AP) — More than a million people surged into Madrid’s Plaza Cibeles on Sunday for Pope Leo XIV’s main Mass and a solemn procession that wove through streets blanketed with intricate flower carpets, a tradition that has become one of Spanish Catholicism’s most recognizable public expressions.

Cheers of “This is the youth of the pope!” rang out as Leo arrived in his popemobile, looping the plaza and nearby avenues past crowds packed several rows deep behind barriers. The scene mixed the energy of a rock concert with the reverent stillness of a religious gathering—something organizers said reflected both the strength of Spain’s Catholic heritage and the pope’s appeal to younger generations.

Sunday’s liturgy fell on the feast of Corpus Domini, which in many Catholic countries includes processions led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. In Spain, as in parts of Latin America, the route is often adorned with elaborate carpets made of flowers and colored sawdust, created painstakingly by volunteers only to be trampled by the procession — a symbolic offering that underscores the fleeting nature of earthly beauty. According to local organizers, florists from Galicia used more than 30,000 flowers, predominantly in the yellow and white of the Holy See flag, to create 16 carpets along the half-kilometer (mile) route, bearing images such as the papal keys.

Leo, who arrived in Spain on Saturday for a weeklong visit, has made a point of emphasizing the deep roots of Catholic devotion in Spain, especially as the country has become one of Europe’s most secularized societies. At a vigil service the night before, an estimated 600,000 young Spaniards knelt in silence alongside the pope for several minutes — a striking display that organizers said suggested faith remains alive among a generation often described as disengaged. “Don’t ever be afraid of thinking about a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, or other services in the church!” Leo told the crowd during the Mass.

For Irati Valda and Javier Hormazal, a young couple holding a cardboard sign announcing their June 13 wedding, the chance to receive the pope’s blessing during the vigil was unforgettable. “To see so many young people together, it’s incredible. Half a million people in silence — this is something you will live only once,” Valda said.

The flower-carpet tradition, which dates back two centuries, is also popular in Latin America, where sand designs are sometimes used alongside flower arrangements. Poland’s Corpus Domini carpets have already earned UNESCO recognition, and Spain’s Galicia region is pushing for a similar listing as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage — a bid that would tie the practice to other countries that share the ritual.

Religious processions, pilgrimages and feasts remain a powerful force across Spain’s regions. The most visible are Holy Week processions during Lent, where robed penitents and brotherhoods parade ornate statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary to the accompaniment of marching bands, drawing both the faithful and throngs of tourists. Towns and cities also hold fiestas for their patron saints, and the El Rocío pilgrimage in Andalusia attracts a million people each year who travel on horseback and in decorated wagons over the Pentecost weekend to venerate the Virgin.

Leo’s visit comes at a time when Spain is grappling with political polarization. On Saturday, he urged the country to put an end to division and work for unity. Later Sunday, he was scheduled to meet privately with members of his Augustinian order and address cultural leaders.

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AP visual journalist Helena Alves contributed.

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