EDATV The kings will attend Pope León XVI's opening mass, and Sánchez is absent.
The President of the Government is once again absent from the Vatican at a crucial moment
Next Sunday, May 18, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will travel to Rome to attend the opening mass of the pontificate of León XIV. Accompanying them will be the First Vice President of the Government, María Jesús Montero, who will attend as the minister of the day. This has been confirmed by government sources, who also noted that the President of the Government, President Pedro Sánchez, will not be present at the ceremony.
The mass will be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and will mark the official start of the papacy of Robert Francis Prevost, who was recently elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church under the name León XIV. The invitation was formally extended to the Royal House, while Montero's attendance is in accordance with protocol, as explained by the Government.
The institutional presence will be smaller than in similar past events. In fact, a less crowded ceremony is expected compared to the funeral of the previous pontiff, Francis, held on April 26, which President Sánchez also did not attend.
At that time, Spain was represented by the King and Queen and the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles. Just over a week ago, Moncloa was still considering who would represent the Government at the Vatican mass. Government sources indicated then that the precedent of similar events would be taken into account.
In March 2013, when the mass for the beginning of Francis's papacy was held, the then-Princes of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia, attended accompanied by President Mariano Rajoy, his wife Elvira Fernández, and several ministers from his cabinet.
The absence of President Pedro Sánchez this time is due to his intense international agenda. On Friday, May 16, he will participate in Tirana, Albania, at the European Political Community Summit, a forum that brings together European Union leaders along with representatives from countries like the United Kingdom.
A day later, on Saturday, May 17, the President will be in Baghdad, where he will participate as the only invited European leader at the Arab League meeting. Key issues such as the situation in Lebanon and, especially, the peace process in Gaza will be addressed there.
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