The organizers of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to Spain have confirmed that nearly half a million people have registered for some of the major public events along the itinerary, particularly those in Madrid and the Canary Islands.
Rafael Rubio, the communications coordinator for the pontiff's apostolic visit, said during a press briefing that 160,000 people have already registered for the vigil scheduled for June 6; 250,000 for the Corpus Christi Mass and procession; 36,000 for the Mass to be celebrated at Gran Canaria Stadium on June 11; and another 25,000 for the event taking place the following day at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canaries.
However, they are unable to provide figures regarding the events to be held in Barcelona as the local organizers "have decided that the ticket distribution system will be different," Rubio explained.
Nevertheless, the Archdiocese of Barcelona reported that the Olympic Stadium will accommodate approximately 37,000 people.
The organizers also confirmed they have over 20,000 volunteers who will assist at the various venues during the pope's visit. They will be wearing four different-colored T-shirts depending on their role: red for the organizing team, orange for general duties, blue for assisting people with reduced mobility, and green for those providing information to participants at the various events.
To ensure that "there is no one in Spain unaware of the pope's visit," Rubio emphasized, a communication strategy has been developed, one that is still in progress but already features two commercials: "Metro" and "Amigos."
Its creation involved the participation of over 100 contributors and 45 volunteers, with the support of Omnicom Media for strategic planning, Ábside Media for production, and The Cyranos for creative direction.
The campaign aims to invite people "to no longer be indifferent, listen to others, and rediscover them," which goes along with the trip's theme, "Lift Up Your Eyes," Rubio noted.
This communication effort will be rolled out not only through social media but also across some 400 advertising displays distributed throughout Spain.
Listening centers
During the Holy Father's visit to Madrid, the archdiocese will set up listening centers along the Paseo de la Castellana — the city's main north-south thoroughfare — a pastoral initiative that has been underway for several years, coordinated by the Camillian religious order.
Through this initiative, the Catholic Church hopes to minister to the personal, spiritual, and psychological concerns of those generous enough to share them in a welcoming and confidential environment through a model of accompaniment based on the humanistic psychology of Carl Rogers.
Dedicated to this ministry of listening are not only priests but also laypeople, who undergo training courses before joining the listening centers.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
