Barcelona will hear Pope Leo XIV use Catalan during his upcoming visit, according to Archbishop Joan Josep Omella. Speaking on Thursday, Omella said the pontiff will “evidently speak Catalan” and has prepared part of his speeches in the language.
Omella said the Pope knew “from the first moment that we speak Catalan here” and had already worked on some of his remarks in Catalan. He added that the Pope is “above all these controversies”, in reference to the debate around the language’s use during the trip.
The visit is expected to include a mass, and it is still not clear whether Catalan will also be used during the blessing of the Sagrada Família’s Jesus tower. For background on the basilica, see the official site at Sagrada Família.
The Catalan government has already told the Vatican about “the importance of Catalan in Catalonia”, and said it had seen “receptivity and sensitivity” from the institution. The Barcelona City Council has also pressed for the language to be used, with Mayor Jaume Collboni saying its presence in the Pope’s speeches “must be relevant”.
The visit to Barcelona is due in the coming days. For more Catalonia-wide coverage, readers can follow our news page.
