When Pope Leo met in Madrid with Spain’s left-wing prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, on Monday morning, they represented, at least to many liberals, a powerful duo joining forces to lead the opposition to President Trump.
“They have the same voice,” when it comes to speaking out against Mr. Trump, Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid said.
Pope Leo has drawn the president’s fury for criticizing the war in Iran and later saying he had “no fear” of the Trump administration. Mr. Sánchez has battled Mr. Trump on everything from NATO spending to the migration policy to his opposition to the wars in Gaza and Iran.
Their motivations, though, are seemingly different.
If the pope was dragged into the fight by Mr. Trump, Mr. Sánchez happily jumped in. Mr. Sánchez is perhaps Europe’s most accomplished political escape artist, after wriggling free from countless crises during his eight years in power. His most recent high-wire act has been to seize on international quarrels with Mr. Trump to raise his global profile and distract from troubles at home, especially the corruption scandals and accusations now swirling around his former allies and family.
Appearing with the pope “will help Sánchez with his external public image,” said Joseba Louzao, a professor at Cardinal Cisneros University and author of “A Brief History of the Catholic Church in Spain.”
Meeting the pope at the Vatican’s embassy in Madrid on Monday, Mr. Sánchez sought to underline their connection by giving the pontiff a Spanish olive bonsai tree that was, the Spanish government said in a statement to reporters, “a universal symbol of peace, dialogue and understanding, values shared by Spain and the Vatican.” » | Jason Horowitz | Reporting from Madrid | Monday, June 8, 2026
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