Pope Leo XIV to Make First Papal Visit to Tenerife June 12

Pope Leo XIV is set to arrive in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Friday, June 12. This visit is part of his trip to Spain, which begins four days earlier in Madrid, then continues to Barcelona and Gran Canaria, before ending in Tenerife.

The Vatican is currently considering these dates and plans for the Pope's final event in Tenerife to be held at the capital's port. Specifically, the old La Candelaria container terminal, near the Auditorio de Tenerife, will be prepared for a special Mass. This Mass will mark the end of his visit to Spain and will be the first time a Pope has visited the Canary Islands.

Pope Leo XIV will travel to the Canary Islands from Barcelona, where he will lead a Mass at the Sagrada Familia. He is expected to land in Gran Canaria on Thursday, June 11, and will stay overnight at the Episcopal Palace, the home of Bishop José Mazuelos, next to Santa Ana Cathedral. He will then move on to Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Friday, June 12.

Two main events are planned for the Pope in Tenerife's capital, though the full schedule is still being finalized. This depends on the options proposed by the two Canarian bishops: Eloy Santiago of Tenerife and José Mazuelos of the Diocese of Canarias.

This visit to the Canary Islands fulfills a wish expressed by the late Pope Francis, who had planned this trip before he passed away. Pope Leo XIV is honoring his predecessor's wishes and will travel to the islands to show support, solidarity, and raise awareness about the migration issue directly affecting the region.

With this goal in mind, several possibilities have been suggested. These include a visit to the Temporary Foreigner Internment Center (CITE) in Raíces, located in La Laguna, and to a project run by the Good Samaritan Foundation in the Añaza neighborhood of the capital.

Following this visit, likely to Father Pepe's project with migrants in the busy Southwest neighborhood, the closing Mass for the Spanish visit would take place at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

While the port area, specifically the old La Candelaria container terminal at the Los Llanos dock, is the planned location, the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium was also considered. The stadium could host the final Mass, but its capacity for 25,000 people is much smaller than what the Tenerife port esplanade can accommodate.