The Pope met superstar musician Bad Bunny but didn’t provide photos (sorry)
By Christopher Lamb, CNN
Barcelona (CNN) — Pope Leo XIV and Bad Bunny have been the two big crowd pullers in Spain in recent days. The pontiff has been packing out stadiums and plazas for prayer vigils and Masses, while the Puerto Rican rapper has been holding his party-style mega-concerts in front of tens of thousands.
Now, the Vatican has confirmed the pair met briefly on Monday in Madrid, although no photos or video have yet been released of the encounter, in what will be disappointing news for anyone hoping to see the first US-born pope standing next to the reggaeton superstar. A spokesman for the Vatican said Leo XIV met the music artist along “with his family and other people.”
The Grammy-winning artist, who had requested to meet the pope, was “truly moved” after they shook hands, according to the Vatican. Several people were present at the meeting, including members of the musician’s family.
On board the plane from Rome to Madrid, the pope made light of facing competition from Bad Bunny, who was in the Spanish capital at the same time. The pope’s gathering with young people on Saturday night in Madrid coincided with a Bad Bunny concert.
“If they are confronted with the question: do they want to see Bad Bunny or do they want to see the pope, I think many will go to see Bad Bunny,” he told CNN on board the papal plane. “But I think there will also be a few there to see the pope. And that too says something, you know.”
While both draw big crowds and, like the pope, Bad Bunny often dresses in white, their messages are contrasting. Bad Bunny’s lyrics often reference casual encounters with women, while on Saturday night, the pope talked about marriage as a vocation. “Do not be afraid of marriage and of starting a family,” he told a crowd of around 600,000 at a prayer vigil on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Leo XIV and the rapper are both concerned about the immigration crackdown in the United States, and both have faced criticism from President Donald Trump. The rapper was slammed by Trump for his halftime performance at the Super Bowl in February, while the pope has sparked the ire of the president for his opposition to the war in Iran.
On Wednesday, the pope visits Montserrat, the spiritual heart of the Catalan region. Later in the day, he will celebrate Mass in the iconic Sagrada Família in Barcelona and inaugurate a tower which makes it the tallest church in the world.
Immigration will be top of the agenda for the final part of the pope’s visit to Spain: on Thursday and Friday he will be in the Canary Islands, a major entry point to Europe for new arrivals. While visiting Gran Canaria and Tenerife, Leo will meet immigrants and groups helping to support them.
The-CNN-Wire
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