Pope Benedict XVI drew more than a million young people to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, an event that left its mark on an entire generation. Fifteen years later, Spain is preparing to welcome a new pontiff, Leo XIV, in a profoundly different religious landscape.
Over this period, the faith and religious practice of Spanish society have undergone significant changes. Ahead of the Popeʼs upcoming visit in June, two experts reflected on this development and the spiritual reality that Leo XIV will encounter upon his arrival in Spain.
A less religious society
Rafael Ruiz Andrés, a professor who holds a doctorate in sociology from the Complutense University of Madrid, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that Benedict XVI arrived in Spain during what he called “the third wave of secularization” since the beginning of the 21st century.
He noted that in today’s society and especially among young people, this secularization has accelerated and intensified: “Undoubtedly, we are in a less religious society,” he stated.
According to the latest data released by the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation in its 2025 Barometer on Religion and Beliefs in Spain, nearly half of all Spaniards (42%) no longer
