Pope Leo XIV, on a weeklong visit to Spain, joked that young Spaniards might prefer seeing Latin pop singer Bad Bunny over him. Despite the remark, thousands of young Catholics gathered for a prayer vigil.
The Pope's lighthearted remarks highlight the cultural divide and the challenge of engaging younger generations with religious figures, while also underscoring the significant popularity of contemporary artists like Bad Bunny.
Pope Leo XIV joked on Saturday that young people in Spain would likely choose to see Latin pop singer Bad Bunny over him during his visit to Madrid. The pontiff, who began a weeklong visit to Spain, acknowledged that he is competing for attention with the Puerto Rican superstar. Leo XIV suggested that many young Spaniards would opt for the Grammy-winning artist over the pontiff, stating, "If they are confronted with the question 'Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go to see the pope?' I think many will see Bad Bunny." He added, "But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope." The Pope raised this comparison while discussing signs of a spiritual awakening among some young people in Spain, expressing hope that his visit could help "awaken" something within them. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is currently performing a 10-show run in Madrid as part of his Spanish tour. Despite the Pope's remarks, thousands of young Catholics turned out to greet him, with an estimated 500,000 people gathering in a Madrid plaza on Saturday evening for a prayer vigil. The Chicago-born pope was also asked about reports of the Chicago Bears potentially moving out of Illinois, to which he quipped, "That's out of my pay (scale)."
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