. >> let's turn to the bbc's tom burridge for madrid. the reaction there. >> no official reaction yet but we did get through to a priest in the local parish in madrid that expressed the surprise, a complete shock, i guess, over the decision saying he has not spoken to any colleagues, friends and religious circles who has heard any rumors that the pope was thinking of stepping down. this is a country pope benedict xv has visited three times and collected. 2006, he went to valencia. 2010, santiago and in barcelona. and then the following year he came to the capital, madrid. he was quite critical, interestingly, in the visit to barcelona. the policies toward the church -- prime minister zapatero. he legalized gay marriage and relaxed abortion laws and the pope on that is a call on europe's catholics to renew the faith and fought the aggressive secularism of the spanish government. pope benedict put a lot of importance on spain because spain -- a good relationship. yes, it large section is very catholic in the but of but a large section, mai