Pope Leo XIV. on Tuesday traveled from Madrid to Barcelona, where in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalie led the midday praisesthe news website Vatican News reported. In the subsequent homily, he alternated between Spanish and English, and at the end said a few words in Catalan as well.
In his address, Lev called on the Catholic community to be a “witness and bearer of unity” in society. He also spoke on cooperation between lay believers and clergy. According to him, the church works like a big family where everyone has a role, even if some are more visible and others work more in the background. He emphasized that its strength lies in unity and common spirit.
At the same time, the Pope appealed to all Christians to in times of war and division in society, they tried to bring more understanding, acceptance and peace, even if they may have to make a personal sacrifice for it.
After arriving in Barcelona, the Pope met with the Catalan leadership and in the evening he plans a prayer vigil with young people at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. On Wednesday, he will visit Brians 1 prison, from where he will move to the Benedictine abbey on Montserrat, which recently celebrated its 1,000th anniversary.
The Pope will preside over the prayer of the rosary in the monastery and will meet with the monastic community. The abbey also houses a statue of Our Lady of Montserrat, known as La Moreneta, which in 1881 Pope Leo XIII. declared the patron saint of Catalonia. Later, the Pope in the Church of St. Augustína will meet representatives of diocesan charitable and social organizations in Barcelona.
One of the highlights of the Pope’s visit to Barcelona will be Mass in the Sagrada Família Basilica, which will be followed by the blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ. It is the dominant feature of the temple and with a total height of 172.5 meters it is the tallest church tower in the world. The basilica was already consecrated 16 years ago by the then Pope Benedict XVI.
Leo’s visit will also be a tribute to the creator of the building, the architect Antoni Gaudí, whose death anniversary Barcelona commemorates this year. At the same time, Gaudí is on his way to canonization. In April 2025, Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing his virtues, giving him the title venerable. The next step should be his beatification and later his declaration as a saint (canonization). A separate recognized miracle is usually required for each additional stage of the process.
