UMVA has learned that Pope Leo XIV made a lighthearted remark on Saturday, suggesting that he knows who would win if young people had to choose between seeing him or Latin pop sensation Bad Bunny this weekend.
The Pope, who began a weeklong visit to Spain on Saturday, acknowledged that he is competing for attention with the Puerto Rican superstar while in Madrid. He jokingly noted that many young Spaniards would likely choose the Grammy-winning artist over the pontiff.
"If they are confronted with the question ‘Do you want to go see Bad Bunny or do you want to go to see the pope?’ I think many will see Bad Bunny," Leo told reporters aboard the papal plane before his arrival. "But I think there will also be a few here to see the pope," he added.
The Pope's comments came as Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is currently performing a 10-show run in Madrid as part of his Spanish tour. Leo raised the comparison while discussing what he described as signs of a spiritual awakening among some young people in Spain.
The Pope expressed hope that his visit could help "awaken" something within young adults, who appear to be searching for meaning. Despite his remarks, thousands of young Catholics turned out to greet the Pope, with an estimated 500,000 people gathering in a Madrid plaza Saturday evening for a prayer vigil.
The crowd chanted, "This is the youth of the pope!" as Leo later rode through the crowd in his popemobile while a Spanish rendition of the 1970s musical "Godspell" played. The Pope's visit seems to have made a significant impact on the young people of Spain.
On a different note, the Pope was also asked about the potential relocation of the Chicago Bears to Indiana. Leo quipped, "That’s out of my pay (scale)," when asked about the proposed stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana.
