Pope Leo XIV warns Madrid’s priests that faith can be instrumentalized or relegated amid political uncertainty

Pope Leo XIV has sent a letter to approximately 1,100 priests from Madrid, warning them that growing polarization and secularization puts the faith at dual risk of being instrumentalized or made irrelevant.

The pope’s message comes at a time of political upheaval in Spain as the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) is under more pressure following local elections in Aragón, and debates about migration continue to dominate.

“In many environments, we observe advanced processes of secularization...