Pope Leo XIV will make a 20-minute visit to Can Brians 1 penitentiary in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Baix Llobregat, on 10 June. This stop is part of his three-day visit to Catalonia from 9 to 11 June, occurring on his way to Montserrat.
The details of the visit were shared by Father Jesús Bel, a Mercedarian priest and chaplain at the centre for ten years, in an interview with Europa Press. Father Bel explained that the Pope's visit will deliver a "word of hope" to the inmates.
Pope's Social Sensitivity
The visit to Can Brians prison was requested by Xavier Gómez, the Bishop of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, whose diocese includes Sant Esteve Sesrovires. The Pope accepted immediately due to his "great sensitivity towards those on the margins," according to Father Bel.
Ecclesiastical authorities emphasised the social dimension of the Pope's trip during its presentation. This focus will also include a visit to Sant Agustí parish in Barcelona's Raval neighbourhood on the same day, before he goes to the Sagrada Família.
During his stop at Can Brians, the Pope will have a "brief but intense" meeting. This will involve chaplains from Brians 1 and Brians 2 penitentiary centres, volunteers from the Prison Pastoral Care programme, and a group of male and female inmates. Pope Leo XIV will address them in the assembly hall.
"It is a visit to bring them encouragement, affection, and the closeness of God, who loves them and does not forget them even if they are in the deepest pit of their lives, and who encourages them to get up and move forward," Father Bel told Europa Press.
Chaplain's Long Service
Father Bel served as a chaplain at La Model prison until its closure in 2017. He has supported people deprived of liberty for forty years. He visits Barcelona's pre-trial detention centre four times a week, providing religious assistance to men in the modules, which he describes as a "constitutional right."
His duties include celebrating the Eucharist, offering Bible courses, and catechesis for inmates wishing to receive baptism, first communion, and confirmation. He also provides personal support and helps with other needs, such as arranging clothes through Cáritas for inmates admitted without resources.
Approximately forty Catholic inmates participate in religious activities at Brians 1. This number changes, however, because as a pre-trial detention centre, it does not have a "fixed population." Inmates typically spend an average of one year in provisional detention before being transferred if convicted.
