Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has claimed his audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican has demonstrated an “absolute alignment” between the Spanish Government and the Holy See on issues such as peace, immigration and artificial intelligence (AI).
The 45-minute meeting on May 27, 2026, has unfolded as agents of the Guardia Civil’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) have been searching the Madrid headquarters of his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in Calle Ferraz, in connection with an Audiencia Nacional probe into alleged irregular party financing known as the “Leire case”, according to Europa Press.
Speaking at a press conference after the audience, Sánchez has said the convergence with the Pontiff vindicated the “common sense” of his administration’s positions.
“There are issues on which there is indeed absolute alignment, but what that endorses is the common sense of those positions defended, in this case, by the Catholic Church and also defended by the Government of Spain,” he has told reporters.
The Socialist leader has described Pope Leo XIV’s voice as “a moral compass in the fight against injustice” and has praised the Pontiff’s stance against “selfishness” and his “empathy in the face of unreason and the law of the jungle”.
On peace, Sánchez has reiterated his government’s view that conflicts cannot be resolved through military means. “Peace is not built with missiles,” he has said, calling instead for “dialogue” and “respect for international law”.
The Spanish premier has also defended his country’s foreign aid record, claiming Spain raised its official development assistance by 13 per cent last year despite what he called a global context of “massive cuts”.
On AI, Sánchez has backed the Pope’s call for the technology to be regulated from a “humanist perspective”, agreeing that “no technology is neutral”. Spain, he has added, is part of a “coalition of digital volunteers” within the European Union.
The Prime Minister has defended an “orderly” immigration policy linked to “shared prosperity” with human dignity “above all”. He has attacked what he called “hoaxes” and “so-called national priorities”, including “replacement theories”, though he has clarified that he did not raise those subjects directly with the Pontiff.
Sánchez has confirmed Pope Leo XIV would visit Spain from June 6-12, 2026, travelling to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
The Vatican audience has come days after the Audiencia Nacional indicted former Socialist prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on charges including money laundering, influence peddling, document forgery and criminal organisation, the first such indictment of a former Spanish head of government. Sánchez has publicly closed ranks around his predecessor, even as opposition leaders have called for him to step aside.
