The upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to Madrid has sparked various controversies and suspicions among the capital's residents and the main opposition parties against mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida and president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The preparations, described as "chaos" by some, focus on mobility and security plans.
The Madrid City Council is responsible for street closures and urban traffic regulation, while the Community of Madrid coordinates Metro frequencies, station closures to prevent overcrowding, and interurban bus routes. Security is another priority, with over 14,000 agents deployed, although police unions question the operation's capacity for events with up to one million attendees.
In addition to private hotel offerings, the Community of Madrid has decided to open facilities in public schools and institutes, such as courtyards and gyms, to provide free accommodation for visitors. This initiative has been met with rejection by the Union of Workers in Education of Madrid (STEM), which advocates for secular public education.
“"It is the Catholic Church that must guarantee accommodation for those who wish to attend the Pope's visit"
The STEM union argues that the cession of public educational spaces for religious purposes goes against its project for a secular school and points out the contradiction with the bureaucratic difficulties that usually arise for the use of these same spaces for popular activities. "Obstacles that seem to disappear in this case due to the will of the regional government and several city councils, including the capital's," they denounce.
STEM also raises concerns about civil liability, service organization, and informing legal representatives of non-teaching staff. Sources from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Universities assure that the use of spaces will be limited from the afternoon of Friday, June 5th, to Sunday, June 7th, and that the Archdiocese of Madrid will handle logistics, maintenance, and facility preparation, ensuring no impact on academic activities.
However, the union insists that the Catholic Church should be responsible for hosting visitors with its own properties, criticizing the administration for facilitating free accommodation through public spaces. "We demand that this decision be reversed and we express our total commitment to a secular school," they conclude.
