Leo XIV’s Iberian Campaign: Neo-Church Exploits Catholic Heritage for Modernist Revolution
The National Catholic Register article by Andrea Gagliarducci (June 18, 2026) presents an enthusiastic analysis of Leo XIV’s recent six-day visit to Spain, framing it as a strategic shift from the itineraries of his predecessor. The article celebrates the trip as a journey to the “peripheries of faith” – nations with ancient Christian roots experiencing a secularization – and highlights massive turnouts for Corpus Christi in Madrid and emotional responses in Barcelona. Gagliarducci praises the antipope’s speech to the Spanish parliament (Cortes) for addressing populism, nationalism, and abortion, and for invoking the School of Salamanca and Spanish saints like John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. The piece concludes that Leo XIV’s presence serves to “reawaken dormant faith,” “confirm people in the faith,” and “restore Christ to the center,” portraying the visit as a resounding success for the “New Evangelization.” Beneath this veneer of triumphalism lies a calculated exploitation of Catholic memory to advance the very Modernist revolution that has emptied these nations of their faith.

