Barcelona is at the centre of a row over Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit, after criticism that Catalan was set to have only a limited role in official events. The dispute also touched on the planned blessing of the Sagrada Família’s Tower of Glory, which was initially due to be in Spanish only.
Journalist and Vatican expert Vicenç Lozano, author of Leo XIV, Shadows Under the Dome, said the Vatican and the Pope are aware of the criticism. He said Catalan civil society and religious organisations have urged the Vatican to give Catalan a stronger place during the visit.
Lozano said the Vatican wants to avoid a scandal that could overshadow the trip, but that persuading the Spanish Episcopal Conference to increase Catalan use has been difficult. He said the conference first set a lower level of Catalan than Catalan church leaders had proposed.
He also said there will now be more Catalan used across the visit after a meeting at the Secretariat of State last Wednesday. Lozano added that one of the few Catalans working at the Vatican has prepared audio recordings for the Pope with the Catalan texts he will read.
The blessing of the Tower of Glory, which was originally planned entirely in Spanish, will now include a significant presence of Catalan, according to Lozano. He described the original plan as “absolutely absurd”, and pointed to Antoni Gaudí’s Catalan identity and the language’s place in the history of the Sagrada Família.
Lozano also said the Pope is usually sensitive enough to speak at least a few words in the local language. He compared the current plans with Pope Benedict XVI’s visit 16 years ago, saying Catalan had a much stronger presence then. For more on the wider context, see our news coverage and our tag page on Catalonia news.
Lozano went on to discuss the Vatican’s cautious approach to Catalan independence, saying it tends to avoid sensitive political issues in Europe and prefers to respect the status quo. He said the Holy See has faced pressure from both the Spanish government and Catalan independentists, but has remained neutral. He also said Catalan influence inside the Vatican has weakened, with very few Catalans now holding important roles.
