Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed on June 9, 2026 that Pope Leo XIV met singer Bad Bunny, together with family members, during the Pontiff’s apostolic visit to Spain. The brief private encounter took place on June 8 inside the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, where the Holy Father was addressing young people as part of Corpus Christi events.

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in 1994, requested the meeting. Raised in a devout Catholic family in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, he sang in the choir of Most Holy Trinity Parish until the age of 13 and served as an altar boy. His mother continues as a volunteer catechist. While acknowledging the formative influence of his Catholic upbringing, the artist is not known to practise the Faith actively today.

The 32-year-old reggaeton and Latin trap star, often called the “King of Latin Trap”, has achieved unprecedented global success with Spanish-language music. He has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist multiple times and performed at the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. His DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS tour included 10 sold-out concerts in Madrid.

Bad Bunny’s work has drawn criticism for explicit content. Tracks such as “Safaera” (featuring Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow) contain graphic sexual descriptions, crude language and references to promiscuity and substance use. Other songs, including “Diles”, similarly feature profane and sexually objectifying lyrics that stand in clear contrast to Catholic moral teaching on chastity and the dignity of the human person.

The artist has cultivated an androgynous public image, frequently wearing skirts and other gender-non-conforming clothing, and has advocated for LGBT causes. In a 2020 interview he described his sexuality as fluid, stating that he was then heterosexual and attracted to women while not ruling out future possibilities. He has not publicly identified as gay.

The meeting remained private, with no photographs released, in line with an agreement to avoid diverting attention from the papal visit. Yago de la Cierva, general coordinator for the Spanish bishops, described the exchange as “friendly and familiar”. It followed Pope Leo’s light-hearted remarks on the flight to Madrid about competing for young people’s attention with Bad Bunny’s concerts.

Pope Leo’s Spanish visit drew massive crowds: approximately 500,000 at a Madrid prayer vigil and 1.2 million for the Corpus Christi Mass and procession. The Pontiff has consistently upheld the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life, human sexuality and the call to chastity, most recently urging Spain’s Parliament to respect life from conception to natural death.

This encounter provides additional context on the Church’s outreach to contemporary cultural figures shaped by Catholic roots yet navigating paths often at variance with the Gospel. As the successor of Peter continues his mission of evangelisation, such moments underscore the enduring challenge of proclaiming unchanging truth amid modern cultural expressions.

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