As Pope Leo XIV prepares to visit Spain on Saturday, the people of Spain — and the world — are welcoming him with an original hymn.
As Pope Leo XIV prepares to depart for his apostolic journey to Spain on Saturday, the people of Spain — and the world — are welcoming him with a powerful, original hymn featuring a star-studded cast.
The digital community VIVAFE announced this Thursday the release on all streaming platforms of “I Lift Up My Eyes,” the international version of the official anthem for the upcoming visit of His Holiness to Spain. They previously released the Spanish version of the same title, “Alza la Mirada,” on April 16.
The song title and theme are drawn from Psalm 121, which reads in part:
I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
From whence shall come my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
All proceeds generated from streaming the song will be allocated to various charitable initiatives of the Catholic Church in Spain.
VIVAFE, which translates to “living faith,” is a digital community for Catholic music for young people in Spain — a space where beauty, creativity, and faith converge. VIVAFE brings together musicians, singers, and listeners who wish to grow, create, and share from a common ground, seeing music as a path toward God.
The worship anthem features prominent figures in contemporary Christian music, including Canadian-American Matt Maher — a Dove Award winner and Grammy nominee — and songwriter Sarah Kroger, as well as several other popular artists including Jon Carlo, Kairy Márquez, John Finch, and Dana Catherine. Their collaboration aims to take the message of the papal visit beyond the borders of Spain out to the whole world.
You can listen to “I Lift Up My Eyes” here:
The original Spanish version, “Alza la mirada,” brought together more than 1,700 voices in the cathedrals of Madrid, Barcelona, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria, and includes multiple languages of Spain — Castilian and Catalan.
The associated video showcases the rich and powerful beauty of Spain’s Catholic heritage in cathedrals, churches, and natural wonders. You can see it here:
Now, “I Lift Up My Eyes” captures that same exuberant spirit and opens it up to the world to connect with Catholic and Christian communities in other countries.
An outreach around the world
For VIVAFE, this release is a major step in its international outreach, linking its artistic work in Spain with artists who are widely known in the global Christian music community. This project reinforces its mission of bringing together young people to celebrate faith and music.
Javier Llano, the project lead for VIVAFE, told RTVE that the English version is not an identical translation but rather a living and heartfelt expression of the same message:
This perspective can indeed cross borders. This is neither a mechanical translation nor a parallel project; it is the natural expansion of a song that is alive, communal, and meant to be shared.
This English-language version will help young people in other nations — particularly English-speaking ones — to embrace the Pope’s message. Reaching media outlets and dioceses all over the world, the song in both English and Spanish underscores the universal significance of the Pope's visit to Spain.
Pope Leo’s visit
Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Spain on June 6 for a six-day visit that will take him across more than 1,500 miles and four destinations: Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife. You ca see the full itinerary here. The trip, which runs through June 12, is expected to draw approximately half a million faithful to its various public events.
Pope Leo XIV will return to a country in which he has deep roots and for which he holds great affection. He is linked to this land by family roots, personal friendships, and the long history of his religious order, the Augustinians, who have sent thousands of missionaries from Spanish shores over the centuries.
According to genealogical research, the maternal branch of Leo XIV’s family includes Spanish ancestors from the province of Pontevedra, in Galicia, Spain. In a sense, the Pope will be visiting the land of his own family origins.
