The Congress estimates that the Pope's visit to the Lower House, scheduled for next June 8, will last approximately 50 minutes and will include, in addition to institutional greetings, separate interventions by the Head of the Vatican State and the president of the Congress, Francina Armengol, in the Plenary Hall.
According to parliamentary sources, the Pontiff will arrive at the Palace of the Carrera de San Jerónimo around 10:00 and will enter on foot crossing the Floridablanca courtyard.
At receptions for heads of state, the usual practice is to hold a first greeting in that courtyard, where a band plays the national anthems of the invited country and Spain.
Subsequently, accompanied by the president of the Congress and, foreseeably, also by that of the Senate, the 'popular' Pedro Rollán, the León XIV will head to the Hall of Lost Steps, where a greeting line will await him, made up of the members of the Bureaus of both Chambers and the spokespersons of the different parliamentary groups, to which the leader of the opposition, the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, may join.
Signature in the Book of Honor and speeches in the hemicycle
In the Hall of Lost Steps itself, as is customary, the exchange of protocolary gifts will take place, and the Pope will have the opportunity to put his signature on the Book of Honor of Congress, before heading to the hemicycle, where the seats will be occupied by deputies and senators.
President Armengol will be the first to speak and, subsequently, Leo XIV will speak in his capacity as head of state of the Vatican.