More than 1.2 million people packed the streets of Madrid on Sunday as Pope Leo XIV celebrated a huge open-air Mass in what became the biggest event of his week-long visit to Spain. Organisers said crowds filled Plaza de Cibeles and surrounding avenues from the early hours of the morning, creating one of the largest religious gatherings the country has seen in recent years.

The extraordinary turnout highlighted the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in Spain, despite the country becoming increasingly secular over recent decades. Thousands travelled from across Spain to attend, while many others queued before dawn to secure a place close to the procession route.

Crowds fill Madrid’s iconic streets

As the Pope arrived in his white popemobile, worshippers waved flags, cheered and showered the route with flower petals. The Mass took place around Madrid’s famous Plaza de Cibeles, with crowds stretching far beyond the square itself. Organisers and Vatican officials estimated attendance at around 1.2 million people.

Sunday’s celebration coincided with Corpus Christi observances, a major event in the Catholic calendar. Floral displays decorated parts of the procession route, while worshippers joined prayers and religious ceremonies under clear skies and soaring temperatures.

Pope’s message focuses on compassion

During his homily, Pope Leo urged Catholics to put their faith into action by helping those in need. He spoke about supporting the poor, vulnerable and isolated members of society, encouraging worshippers to look beyond private devotion and engage with their communities.

The pontiff also repeated calls for societies to remain welcoming and inclusive, themes that have featured heavily throughout his first official visit to Spain. His trip began with meetings involving migrants and homeless people and will continue with visits to Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

Spain welcomes first papal visit in 15 years

The visit marks the first papal tour of Spain in 15 years and has attracted huge public interest. The night before the Mass, an estimated 600,000 young people attended a vigil with the Pope in Madrid, suggesting strong enthusiasm among younger generations despite declining religious observance nationally.

For many attendees, the day was about more than religion. The gathering became a powerful display of unity, culture and tradition, with Madrid transformed into the focal point of the Catholic world for a day.

As Pope Leo continues his Spanish tour, Sunday’s million-strong turnout will likely be remembered as one of the defining images of his visit – a sea of worshippers filling the heart of Madrid in a historic show of faith.

Marbella council has started works to remove six high-voltage pylons in the Nueva Andalucia district and bury nearly two kilometres of electrical cabling safely underground. The project targets lines for Marbella Paraiso and Cosol Nueva Andalucia, right in the heart of this residential zone and next to homes. Residents will benefit from improved safety once the structures and overhead wires go.

Council actions hope to clear these installations and return space to local people for everyday use. Investment reaches around €2 million, paid for by a private urban development now underway in the area.

Safety gains and neighbourhood space recovery

The council has called the district a priority area backed up over recent council terms. Similar tower removals have already finished in Calle Castilla and around Calle Salduba. Cable burial work continues at the moment in Calle Rio Real.

Older developments from past decades often ignored key requirements such as communications networks, sanitation systems, steady electricity supply and smooth urban fit for high-voltage lines. Current efforts are now looking at fixing these shortfalls and preparing the town for coming growth.

More areas targeted in coming phases

The council also plans similar works across zones such as Bello Horizonte, Las Medranas, Nueva Andalucia and Rio Real. These steps could eventually clear close to 50 high-voltage pylon towers across the whole city in the medium to long term.

Close ties with electricity provider Endesa have supported a specific plan for the removal and burial of medium voltage lines. One major element involves a new substation in the northern section of the San Pedro Alcantara industrial estate. Local business groups have long called for this facility to support future housing and commercial projects.

Impulse for modernised infrastructure across Marbella

The council has said that expansion in the district should also upgrade the town and make up for past infrastructure shortfalls. The approach looks past just new homes alone and is meant to raise daily living standards for people already there through better facilities overall.

Carnival Cruise Line has now confirmed a cyber attack in April that let unauthorised actors reach the passport numbers and personal details of nearly six million passengers. Hackers relied on social engineering to trick an employee rather than exploiting technical flaws. The company detected the intrusion on April 14 and moved quickly to limit further damage while bringing in outside experts.

Details of the April cyber attack

Carnival stated that the intruders reached only a limited section of its systems. The accessed information included names, home addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and government-issued identification such as driving licences and passports. Notifications to affected passengers started in late May. Carnival now provides two years of free credit monitoring and identity protection through TransUnion.

Scale of the attack and data exposed

A filing with the Maine Attorney General revealed the precise figure of 5,995,277 people potentially impacted. Carnival has expressed deep regret over the incident and any worry it may have caused. The operator added that it has introduced extra security controls and improved monitoring tools. It also pledged to carry out ongoing reviews to strengthen its security programmes.

Dangers for those with compromised passport information

People whose passport numbers now sit together with other personal details in the open and available for sale on the black market, now face a higher chance of identity theft and fraud. Criminals are able to combine the data to open bank accounts or credit cards in someone else’s name. They may also file false tax returns or apply for government benefits. Passport details prove especially useful for creating fake travel documents or attempting visa fraud.

Financial losses often follow when fraudsters make unauthorised purchases or damage credit scores through new accounts opened without permission. Victims can often spend months or years disputing charges and restoring their records. The information also can be used behind highly targeted scams. Messages that mention a recent cruise or specific travel history appear more believable and trick people into revealing further details or clicking on malicious links.

Longer-term effects include lasting credit rating harm that can affect mortgages or rentals. Many report anxiety and frustration after dealing with banks, credit agencies and passport offices. The data can circulate on criminal forums for years, so the threat does not go away that quickly. A passport number alone carries limited value, yet the full set of details from this breach creates a powerful package for misuse.

Immediate actions for affected individuals

Carnival has already begun contacting passengers and offers free credit monitoring, although many commentators on social media scoff at this. Experts advise placing a credit freeze with major agencies to block new accounts. Setting up fraud alerts adds another layer of protection.

People should keep an eye on bank statements, credit reports and email inboxes for unusual activity.

Those planning travel soon may consider applying for a replacement passport if they feel concerned, though replacement is not always required unless clear misuse appears.

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Carnival’s previous security problems

Carnival has dealt with several earlier cyber incidents. In 2019 unauthorised persons reached systems linked to multiple brands and exposed customer and employee data. A ransomware attack followed that in 2020 that encrypted files and stole further records, including passport numbers in some cases. Data security specialists have criticised the operator for failing to prevent repeated breaches despite earlier warnings. One consultant noted that the latest case shows Carnival has not addressed weaknesses in employee training and access controls.

Comparable large-scale data incidents

In 2018 Marriott revealed that hackers had accessed records belonging to up to 500 million guests, including passport numbers. The breach exposed similar identity details and raised parallel concerns about fraud and travel document misuse. The 2017 Equifax incident compromised personal information of 147 million people, including social security numbers and dates of birth. Both cases led to years of monitoring offers and legal action as victims faced identity theft risks.