Leo XIV addresses Pedro Sánchez and the Spanish Parliament: “It is unjust to leave the unborn child in the shadows.” The speech also focuses on family and migration.

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Pope Leo did not hold back.

During his address a few hours ago to the Spanish Parliament, as part of the ongoing apostolic visit in Madrid, the Holy Father delivered a message with strong political impact to the government led by Pedro Sánchez.

He directly intervened head-on in some of the most sensitive issues of Spanish and European public debate: abortion, family, end of life, education, and migration.

The speech was much broader, and it is worth reading it in full; here we are only extracting a few passages.

 

“An unjust society if it abandons the unborn child”

The most direct reference to the political context is linked to the recent reform promoted by Sánchez’s government, which aims to enshrine the “right to abortion” in the Constitution itself.

In this context, reflecting on the «inviolable dignity of the human person», the Pope stated to the Spanish parliamentarians that «The defense of human life is a goal of civilization» and explained that it «is neither a partisan issue nor a confessional interest».

Citing Pope Francis, Leo went on to say that social coexistence is threatened precisely by the “throwaway culture”, and therefore «every human life must be recognized and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence».

He then appealed «to those who bear the serious responsibility of legally structuring social coexistence» so that life does not cease «to be recognized as a fundamental value».

To Sánchez and his government he therefore left this question: «Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?».

 

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Family as the foundation of society

However, the speech was not limited to the beginning of life.

The Pontiff also addressed the role of the family as the fundamental cell of society.

In particular, he invited respect for «the primary and inalienable right of parents to choose the type of education and formation to be given to their children, in accordance with their moral, cultural, and religious convictions».

 

Right not to emigrate

A third central axis of the intervention was migration.

Pope Leo XIV recalled Europe’s responsibility to ensure legal and safe pathways for migrants, while also acknowledging another principle: the right not to be forced to migrate.

From this perspective, the Pontiff insisted against discrimination «ethnic, religious, or linguistic», calling for the debate to «go beyond the simple management of flows».

The Pope’s guidance is to «offer safe and legal pathways, respectful reception, and real opportunities for integration, and to promote the right to remain in one’s own land, working so that no one is forced to leave their home due to lack of peace, security, or dignified living conditions».

An appeal that he had already made last month during his visit to Cameroon.