Ayuso opposes the Pope's discourse: criticizes the "senseless" government's migratory policies because migrants "will not be able to integrate"

Pope Leo XIV went to the Congress of Deputies on Monday where he delivered a historic speech that focused on the vindication of "human dignity", supporting the initiatives of Pedro Sánchez's Government such as the extraordinary regularization of migrants, when he stated that "the tragic migratory drama today challenges the conscience of nations" and remarked that "the situation of migrants and refugees demands a response".

In this context, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, in an interview she granted to 'Antena 3', criticized the Executive for being "senseless" because it promotes "massive" movements of migrant people who, according to the president, will not be able to "integrate". She also continued: "If there continues to be a great imbalance and a great concentration of power in the world, four will continue to grow eternally and profit, which is what the Pope criticizes."

Along the same lines, she stated that the problem of immigration "is not solved with a tweet" and sentenced that "Europe has forgotten its Western roots" and that "whether or not one is a believer, one speaks of freedom, of the person, of the rule of law".

"This Spain that our parents and grandparents have given us cannot be destroyed because there is a senseless Government like that of Spain, which is causing massive movements of people who, if they continue down this path, will not be able to integrate," she concluded.  

The Pope's historic speech

The most anticipated moment of Pope Leo XIV's visit has arrived. The pontiff delivered his historic speech this Monday in the Congress of Deputies, after holding a private meeting with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, at 9:30 a.m. at the Apostolic Nunciature, where they discussed issues such as international cooperation, the social agenda, and migration, and where Sánchez gave him a Spanish olive bonsai. The Holy Father was received with a great ovation.

In his address to the Chamber, Leo XIV wanted to emphasize the symbolic nature of his presence in Spain, assuring that "my presence before you wants to be a gesture of closeness to Spain." The pontiff also highlighted that in the country "here differences are heard and become shared decisions," in allusion to the democratic functioning of Parliament.

The Pope has also reflected on the country's historical and social trajectory. He has stated that "Spain possesses a particularly rich memory" and has valued that "it has known how to look at the human being as something more than a piece", although he has recognized, in a self-critical tone, that "society and the Church were not always up to the task".

During his speech, Leo XIV insisted on the need to reinforce the ethical principles that sustain coexistence. He defended that "every just society is built on the inviolable dignity of the human person" and that "coexistence can be threatened by the culture of discard", also emphasizing that "the moral greatness of a nation is manifested when the most fragile lives are protected."

The pontiff concluded his intervention with a message focused on the migratory phenomenon and the defense of human rights. He warned that "the tragic migratory drama today challenges the conscience of nations" and remarked that "the situation of migrants and refugees demands a response", insisting that "where a person is discriminated against, the principle of human dignity is violated."