After Pope Francis did not visit Spain during his pontificate, the visit of Pope Leo XIV, his first to a major European country since taking office, was anticipated with great expectation.

His visit to Montserrat drew significant attention. The Benedictine abbey there cares for one of the world's most significant Marian shrines. Pope Leo XIV centred his address in Montserrat on the theme of hope. He called for reconciliation, peace and unity, encouraging the faithful to allow Mary to lead them to Christ. He praised the 1,000-year-old Benedictine abbey as a spiritual centre whose prayer, hospitality and witness radiate far beyond Catalonia.

Another Benedictine abbey was also involved in the papal visit. The boys' choir of the Abbey of the Holy Cross in the Valle de los Caídos sang at the papal Mass for Corpus Christi in Madrid, which was attended by 1.2 million faithful.

That same evening, the Pope visited his Augustinian brothers. Outside the building, a chanting crowd protested against the government's plans for the Abbey of the Holy Cross. As part of efforts to address the legacy of the Franco dictatorship, a museum is to be established there, which would affect the entrance to the basilica.

The day after Corpus Christi, unannounced exploratory drilling began on the abbey grounds. The machinery was damaged by unknown individuals during the following night.