Barcelona will hear Pope Francis use Catalan during the blessing of the Jesus Tower at the Sagrada Família, Cardinal Archbishop Joan Josep Omella has confirmed. He made the remarks at a Caritas Barcelona press conference, after Catalan bishops agreed to ask for the language to be included.
Omella said the Pope “will speak in Catalan” alongside Spanish at the event. He added that the Holy See accepted the request from Catalan dioceses, and quoted the Pope as saying he “will bless a part in Catalan” and “will speak Catalan as far as he can reach”.
The Cardinal also addressed the criticism that followed the first missal, which did not include Catalan in the blessing. He said some people had “light[ed] fires where there are none”, and said he understood why the omission had caused concern. He added that the homily was still being prepared and would not be limited to the text in the missal.
Omella said the use of Catalan was “reasonable from the first moment”. He explained that the blessing text is written in Spanish “so that everyone in Spain can understand it”, but said the spoken words would be different. He also said Pope Francis is preparing his sermon and “will say some words in Catalan as far as he can”.
He described the liturgy preparation process, saying commissions were appointed and that Father Josep Maria Turull, rector of the Sagrada Família basilica, prepared the text before sending it to Rome. “Rome decides,” Omella said. “We said that we are in Catalonia and a part must be in Catalan.”
The decision marks a notable moment for Catalan in a major religious ceremony in Catalonia. More details on the Pope’s exact words are expected closer to the blessing. For more Catalonia-wide coverage, see our news page.