Madrid volunteers receive emergency training for Pope Leo XIV visit

Madrid’s Civil Protection service (SAMUR) trained on Monday (June 1) 1,800 volunteers ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Spanish capital.

Near Almudena Cathedral in central Madrid, volunteers practiced how to identify medical emergencies, perform CPR, use defibrillators, and respond to other incidents.

Civil protection workers also foresee the hot weather to be a potential hazard for attendees, warning people to stay hydrated, to wear caps and sunscreen. 

In total, SAMUR plans to train around 2,600 volunteers for the visit. The city is also deploying a major security and emergency operation, including more than 4,000 police officers.

Leo is visiting Spain from June 6-12 in his first trip to a European ​Union nation outside Italy.

The first U.S. pope will spend the last two ⁠days of the trip on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where he will meet ​with migrants and organizations dedicated to helping them.

More than 3,000 people died in 2025 trying to ​reach the Canary Islands, often in makeshift dinghies, according to NGO Caminando Fronteras.

The pope comes to Spain as Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government has opened a one-year mass amnesty program, allowing an estimated 500,000 immigrants to apply for ​legal status.

Leo will meet King Felipe and Queen Letizia ​and give addresses at the Royal Palace and the Spanish Parliament.

-Guillermo Martinez, Nina Lopez/Reuters