Barcelona will be at the centre of a language debate when Pope Leo XIV uses Catalan during a mass at the Sagrada Família, while the blessing of the Jesus Tower will be entirely in Spanish. The decision comes from the pontiff’s travel missal for Spain, published by the Office of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations.
The mass is due on 10 June at the Sagrada Família, and it marks the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. According to the missal, Catalan will appear alongside Spanish in some parts of the service, including petitions and readings, but the tower blessing will be in Spanish only.
The language choice has drawn criticism in Catalonia, where some see it as a setback for Catalan in public and religious life. The issue has also revived comparisons with Benedict XVI’s visit to the basilica in 2010, when he used Catalan at the dedication ceremony.
During that earlier visit, Benedict XVI began and ended his homily in Catalan and referred to the Virgin of Montserrat and La Mercè, the patron saints of Catalonia and Barcelona. The structure of Leo XIV’s service is expected to follow that 2010 visit, with the Pope starting his homily in Catalan before continuing in Spanish.
At the start of the ceremony, Leo XIV is expected to say that the celebration is for the Eucharist and for the inauguration of the basilica’s new tower, crowned by the cross. At the end, he will pray for those who worked on the building and for those who will find peace and comfort there.
For readers following the wider local context, see our news coverage. The official liturgical text is published by the Office of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, and the basilica’s own site is available at Sagrada Família.
