BARCELONA, June 9 - Pope Leo used Catalan as he began his engagement in Barcelona on Tuesday, choosing a language that many in the region consider essential to their cultural and political identity. The appearance marked the second stop of a week-long visit to Spain during which the pope has cautioned that conflicts have driven the world into a profound crisis.
As he did in Madrid earlier in the trip, where he opened the first papal visit to Spain in 15 years, Pope Leo was met by large crowds upon arriving at Barcelona's 14th century cathedral to lead a midday prayer. Thousands gathered in the sunshine, pressed against crowd-control barriers and waving flags as they shouted "Long live the pope!"
Opening his homily in Catalan with the words "Estimats germans i germanes" (Dear brothers and sisters), the pope acknowledged the distinct cultural character of the region. Regional officials had publicly expressed hope that he would address people in Catalan, a language widely used in the area's schools, churches and local politics.
The article noted that Catalan's public use was restricted during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, which ended in 1975, and that the language remains a core element of regional identity. It also recalled that Catalonia pursued a bid for independence in 2017. That movement has since waned and the region is currently governed by a non-separatist leader.
On Monday, when the pope spoke at Spain's parliament, Miriam Nogueras, a lawmaker from the hardline Catalan separatist party Junts, had publicly thanked him in advance for planning to speak Catalan in Barcelona. In his parliamentary address, Pope Leo urged respect for diversity and stated that the "moral greatness" of any nation should be judged by how it treats migrants and other vulnerable people.
Later on Tuesday the pope was scheduled to meet the leader of Catalonia and to lead a prayer vigil with young people at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. The visit's central events in Barcelona are planned for Wednesday, when the pope will visit an abbey in nearby Montserrat and inaugurate the newest tower of the Sagrada Familia, the modernist basilica that has become the world's tallest church.
The planned visit to the Sagrada Familia also serves to celebrate the legacy of its architect Antoni Gaudí. The article states that Gaudí, a devout Catholic who died on June 10, 1926, is on the path to Catholic sainthood. Gaudí's designs attracted ridicule during his lifetime but are now widely praised.
The pope's itinerary has not been without controversy. He met six victims of sexual abuse by members of Spain's clergy on Monday, and some survivors have criticized his intention to visit the abbey in Montserrat. A 2023 report by Spain's human rights ombudsman estimated that hundreds of thousands of victims had been abused by Spanish clergy over decades. The article also notes that in 2019 the abbot of Montserrat publicly apologised to victims of sexual abuse at the abbey's school.
Pope Leo's visit to Spain is scheduled to conclude on Friday in the Canary Islands, where he will meet about 1,000 migrants who crossed Atlantic waters in small dinghies to reach Europe. In his parliamentary speech earlier in the week he said the lack of assistance for migrants is challenging "the ethical foundation of the international order." The pope has in other remarks adopted a more forceful tone in critiquing the current direction of global leadership.
The Barcelona leg of the visit, with its use of Catalan and a program blending liturgy, political engagement and symbolic gestures at cultural landmarks, underscores the pope's emphasis on identity, migration and moral responsibility as central themes of his Spain tour.
Summary
Pope Leo delivered part of his Barcelona homily in Catalan, acknowledging the language's significance in the region. The stop is part of a week-long visit to Spain that has included a parliamentary address warning of global crisis, meetings with abuse survivors, and upcoming events in Catalonia including visits to Montserrat and the Sagrada Familia.