Pope Leo had a brief private meeting with Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny at Madrid's Bernabeu stadium on Monday evening as both were touring Spain, the Vatican said on Tuesday, adding that it did not expect to release any photos of the meeting.
According to a Vatican statement, the pope met the reggaeton sensation, whose album Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Pictures) won Album of the Year at this year's Grammys, with his family and other people. He offered them a short greeting before leaving the stadium, it added.
Leo, who drew the ire of US President Donald Trump earlier this year after criticising the Iran war, is on a week-long tour of Spain, where he has warned that escalating conflicts have pushed the world into "profound crisis".
Coincidentally, triggering Trump's anger is something the pope and Bad Bunny, whose given name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, have in common.
The singer has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump's hardline anti-immigration policies and supported former Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, in the 2024 presidential race.
Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in February, bringing Spanish language and reggaeton rhythms to the annual U.S. football spectacle. Trump called the show "absolutely terrible" and "an affront to the Greatness of America". – Reuters
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, writing by Andrei Khalip, Editing by Alex Richardson)
