Pope addresses half million youths in Madrid

Spaniards turned out in droves to welcome Pope Leo XIV,  cheering "This is the youth of the pope" at an evening prayer vigil in Plaza de Lima in Madrid, where Leo was treated to a rock star's welcome.

Anestimated 500,000 people, many of them youths,

listened and prayed as Leo Spaniards to "choose examples of a good life."

The American pontiff travelled to Spain dozens of times as a priest, but this is the first visit here by a pope in 15 years.

Leo's visit signalled a return of papal attention to Europe's Christian roots after Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centres of Christianity in favour of smaller Catholic communities farther away.