Pope uses historic Spanish Congress address to warn against discrimination based on 'national origin'

Pope Leo XIV used a landmark address to the Spanish Congress on Monday to warn that discrimination based on "national, ethnic, religious or linguistic origin," or on economic or social status, "seriously violates" the "universal principle of equal dignity of all human beings."

The remarks come days after Spain's People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox signed a regional agreement in Extremadura establishing a principle of "national priority" in access to public services.

The pontiff also offered implicit support for the Spanish government's extraordinary regularisation process for undocumented migrants, backed by the Catholic Church, and called for "safe and legal pathways, respectful reception and real opportunities for integration" for migrants and refugees.

Leo XIV's speech drew on his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, and centred on four themes: the defence of the "right to life" in opposition to abortion and euthanasia, concerns over migration and human dignity, opposition to rearmament as a response to worsening international tensions, and the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies compared with core human values.

On migration, the Pope reiterated his rejection of exclusionary approaches, warning that "human dignity cannot remain abstract when so many people are forced to leave everything behind in search of peace, security and a future."

"The tragic migratory drama today challenges the conscience of nations and the ethical foundations of the international order," he said, adding that "many men, women and children are forced, often by dramatic circumstances, to leave their communities and abandon loved ones, histories and ties."

He stressed that the issue goes beyond "purely demographic or economic readings" and is "an eminently moral and legal question."

"The situation of migrants and refugees, he said, requires a response that focuses on people, addresses the causes of displacement, and goes beyond the mere management of flows."

The Pope travels to Barcelona on Tuesday.