Barcelona will host the final act of Pope Leo XIV’s visit on 10 June, when the blessing of the Sagrada Família’s Jesus Christ Tower is due to be held. The official missal published by the Holy See says the ceremony will be conducted entirely in Spanish.
The Vatican document also points to a smaller role for Catalan than in Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in 2010. That earlier dedication of the basilica included many texts and rites in Catalan, while this year’s celebration is shorter because it does not include the full dedication ritual.
Catalan will still appear at the start of the mass. The pope is due to begin with the liturgical greeting, and the first reading from the Apocalypse, the responsorial psalm and the Creed will also be in Catalan. The Gospel, introductory remarks and many of the celebrant’s interventions will be in Spanish.
The prayers of the faithful will use both languages. Three of the six intentions will be in Catalan and the others in Spanish, with the assembly responding in Latin. The petitions will refer to the Church, the Pope, public officials, those who suffer, peace among nations and the faithful gathered in the basilica.
The central part of the mass will be mainly in Spanish. According to the missal, the offertory, prayers over the offerings, the preface, the eucharistic prayer, the words of consecration, the communion rite and the final prayers will all be in Spanish. Latin will be used for some chants, including the Kyrie, Gloria and Sanctus, as well as the responses to the universal prayers.
After the mass, the blessing ritual for the 172.5-metre Jesus Christ Tower will take place. The Holy See’s text says the prayers and liturgical formulas for that act will also be in Spanish, with no Catalan listed in the final section. For more Catalonia-wide coverage, see our news page.
