In early June, Pope Leo XIV took an apostolic visit to Spain. One of his stops was in Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium, which usually houses soccer games for Real Madrid. There, the Pope gave a speech to over 70,000 people, which he kicked off (no pun intended) by saying that “the church of Madrid has scored a goal for eternity.”
The Pope wasn’t the first person on that stage that afternoon, however. Magician Jorge Blass opened for him as part of a larger event that included artists Íñigo Quintero, Diana Navarro, Daniel Diges, David Bustamante, the 1,000-person family choir from the Church of Madrid, and the Cruz Diez Symphony Orchestra.
Blass performed a bespoke illusion for the event and materialized a magical effect that paid homage to the city’s roots. A memorable experience, no doubt, for Blass and the 70,000 people he performed for.
Event photos courtesy of Jorge Blass