Will Pope Leo XIV Come to Santiago in the Holy Year 2027?

Pope Leo XIV visited Spain in June 2026 without passing through Santiago de Compostela. We review previous papal visits, how his trip went, and where the archbishop's invitation for him to come as a pilgrim in the Jacobean Holy Year 2027 stands.

A visit from the Pope to Santiago de Compostela is one of the most anticipated events for the Camino de Santiago pilgrims. Throughout history, not all pontiffs have had the privilege of kneeling before the tomb of the Apostle. Following the passing of Pope Francis —who, despite multiple invitations, never managed to come— all eyes are now on Pope Leo XIV, who visited Spain in June 2026 without passing through Galicia. Will he be the one to take a Jacobean route to Compostela in the upcoming Holy Year of 2027? Here we review previous visits, how his trip to Spain went, and where things stand with the invitation for 2027.

The latest visits from the Pope to Santiago de Compostela

Santiago has welcomed three popes in its recent history. The first was in 1982, when John Paul II came on the occasion of the Jacobean Holy Year. It was a very emotional moment, and he even dared to speak in Galician, which was a nice gesture for the Galicians. He returned in 1989 for the World Youth Day and, on that occasion, walked the last stretch of the Camino on foot to the Cathedral, like any other pilgrim.

Then, in 2010, it was the turn of Benedict XVI. He also came for a Holy Year and, although it was a brief visit, it held great significance. He entered through the Holy Door, prayed at the tomb of the Apostle Santiago, and celebrated a mass for the multitude in the Plaza del Obradoiro.

The absence of Pope Francis in Santiago

Pope Francis never visited Santiago de Compostela or Spain during his pontificate. While his predecessors did attend, he maintained his policy of prioritizing smaller or developing countries.

Over the years, several opportunities have arisen, such as the Franciscan Year in 2015, the Holy Year of Mercy 2016, or the extension of the Holy Year until 2022, which generated great anticipation. There were efforts and invitations from all institutions —Government, Xunta de Galicia, Archdiocese, and Episcopal Conference—, and even specific dates were considered in the summer of 2022. However, the visit never materialized, and his passing in 2025 definitively closed that possibility.

Thus, since the Jacobean Holy Year of 2010, there have been no more papal visits to Santiago… but who knows, perhaps the new Pope will revive that beautiful tradition.

How Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain in June 2026 went

From June 6 to 12, 2026, Leo XIV made his first apostolic trip to Spain, the first by a pontiff since Benedict XVI came to World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011. In seven days he visited Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands.

In Madrid he presided over the Corpus Christi Mass in Plaza de Cibeles, met with thousands of young people, and became the first Pope to address the Spanish Parliament (Cortes Generales). In Barcelona he prayed at Montserrat and, on June 10, celebrated Mass at the Sagrada Família, where he inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ marking the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death. The trip ended in Gran Canaria and Tenerife: he became the first Pope to visit the Canary Islands and devoted much of his schedule to migrants.

Santiago de Compostela was not on the itinerary. Even so, Archbishop Francisco Prieto accompanied the Pope throughout the trip and took the opportunity to renew the invitation to him in person. And at the farewell in Tenerife, the coordinator of the visit, Yago de la Cierva, put it plainly: «So we'll see each other next year in Santiago, in my homeland, right?».

The possible visit of Pope Leo XIV in the Jacobean Holy Year 2027

Archbishop Francisco Prieto, archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, has already delivered the invitation to Pope Leo XIV. On January 5, 2026, he was received in a private audience in Rome, presented him with the Holy Year 2027 project, and personally invited him to come to Santiago as a pilgrim. He repeated the invitation in June, during the trip to Spain, and on September 25, at the presentation of the Holy Year, he spoke of a «well-founded hope» that Leo XIV will make a pilgrimage to Santiago.

That said, nothing has been confirmed as of today: the Holy See has not announced the trip and there are no dates yet, and the archbishop himself insists that it is up to Rome to confirm it.

The procedure, moreover, depends on the type of visit. If it is a state visit, the approval of the Spanish Government will be necessary, in addition to official invitations from the king, the president of the Government, and the Episcopal Conference. Of course, these institutions will support and promote this visit, given its importance.

But there is also the possibility that the Pope comes as a pilgrim, something much more symbolic and directly linked to the spirit of the Camino, and that is indeed how the archbishop has invited him. Prieto himself has mentioned that Robert Francis Prevost was in Santiago years ago, and that it would be very exciting to see him return as pontiff in the Jacobean Holy Year 2027.

The Xunta de Galicia has publicly expressed the desire for this visit to become a reality, highlighting the enormous spiritual and emotional importance it would have for Galicia. The collaboration between the Archdiocese and civil institutions will be key in the coming months.

The official confirmation of a papal visit usually only comes a few months in advance, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Both at the religious and institutional level, all the steps are being taken so that Leo XIV can visit the tomb of the Apostle. It would be an unforgettable event for the entire Jacobean community.

As he did with the previous Pope, and in the words of the Archbishop referring to him, "Santiago was the first disciple who gave his life for the Lord, and I told him, with a bit of humor, that 'Your friend Santiago is still waiting for Peter to come visit him'." A truly classy invitation, which has already been conveyed to the new Pope.

A Pope with a missionary spirit, and a pilgrim?

His first trip to Spain revealed some of the priorities of Pope Leo XIV, such as welcoming migrants, and confirmed that he is a close pontiff eager to travel the world. His own brother has described him as a man with a missionary soul and a traveling spirit, which has sparked great hopes in Galicia.

The Compostela Church is already looking towards the Holy Year of 2027 as an ideal occasion to welcome the Pope at the tomb of the Apostle Santiago. And the Xunta de Galicia has also committed to working hand in hand with the Archdiocese to make that visit a reality.

And you? Can you imagine experiencing the Holy Year 2027 by walking the Camino de Santiago and coinciding with a possible papal visit? The Holy Door opens on December 31, 2026, so there's no better time than now to start preparing your pilgrimage. Calculate your budget here.