Among the gifts that His Holiness has received, there is one that links him directly to La Palma, since a genealogical study documents the Pontiff’s Canarian origins and traces part of his ancestry to the island of La Palma. The research, entitled ‘Canarian Ancestors of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’, prepared by genealogist María Carrillo de Albornoz Santana, reconstructs the history of two families settled in Santa Cruz de La Palma between the 16th and 17th centuries. It states that several generations of their ancestors were accurately recorded in the sacramental books of the parent parish of El Salvador de Santa Cruz de La Palma.
Visit of His Holiness the Pope, Leo XIV, to the Canaries
12/06/2026
The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has attended the celebration of the Holy Mass, presided over by His Holiness the Pope, Leo XIV, on the occasion of his visit to Spain, on its scale made in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It was the last event in the Canary Islands, with which it ends its official week of travel to Spain, after previously visiting Madrid, Barcelona and Gran Canaria. It is a historical visit since it is the first time that a Pope travels to the Canary Islands. The drama of immigration, which has especially shaken the island territory, has been the protagonist of the programmed acts and also of the words that the pontiff has spoken during the Eucharist officiated in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.