Barcelona hosted the opening of the MED26 Mediterranean Encounters, with Catalan ministers Ramón Espadaler and Jaume Duch stressing the city’s role as a meeting point for cultures, peoples and religions. The event runs until Friday and coincides with the Pope’s visit to the Catalan capital.
Jaume Duch, the Minister for EU and Foreign Action, said the Mediterranean needs stronger links between societies, cultures and individuals. In a government statement released on Tuesday, he said the region has seen its most productive periods when different religions coexisted.
Duch described Barcelona as a natural meeting point for people from across the Mediterranean. He said the city’s language, culture and economy are tied to the sea, and that Barcelona has made exchange and diversity part of its identity.
Ramón Espadaler, Minister for Justice and Democratic Quality, said Barcelona and Catalonia are diverse, with many languages, cultures, traditions and beliefs. He said that diversity is the basis for building a shared project of coexistence and peace.
The Trobades Mediterrànies, or Mediterranean Encounters, began in 2020 as an initiative by Catholic Churches in the Mediterranean. This year’s Barcelona edition brings together 200 participants from 25 countries, including around 50 bishops, 30 theologians and 50 representatives from social organisations.
Espadaler said the timing of the encounters alongside the Pope’s visit gives MED26 special meaning. The Pope is scheduled to visit the Sagrada Família to bless the Jesus tower, as well as Montserrat, the Raval neighbourhood and the Brians penitentiary centre. For more Catalonia coverage, see News.