Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Catalonia for a 36-Hour Visit

The pontiff will land in Barcelona and visit iconic sites including the Sagrada Familia, Montserrat, and Brians prison.

Image of the Sagrada Familia illuminated at night.
IA

Image of the Sagrada Familia illuminated at night.

Pope Leo XIV arrives in Catalonia this Tuesday for a 36-hour visit, which will include events in Barcelona, Montserrat, and Brians prison, with a significant social and religious component.

The pontiff's visit, the third by a pope to Catalonia in contemporary history, will commence at 12:25 PM at El Prat Airport, where he will be received by the bishop of Sant Feliu, Xabier Gómez. After blessing the renovated airport chapel, a police escort will accompany him to the city center to begin an itinerary blending religious symbolism and social commitment. Traffic disruptions are expected, and the Government has advised remote working.
The visit has been marked by controversy over the use of Catalan. Initially excluded from the Mass for the blessing of the Sagrada Familia's Jesus tower, Pope Leo XIV will ultimately incorporate Catalan into the liturgy, as confirmed by the cardinal archbishop of Barcelona, Joan Josep Omella, and the Catalan episcopate, following discussions with the Holy See.
In line with his discourse in Madrid, the pontiff will advocate for the dignity of migrants and the disadvantaged. On Wednesday, he will visit Brians prison in Sant Esteve Sesrovires to demonstrate his commitment to incarcerated individuals, followed by a meeting with volunteers from social organizations in Barcelona's Raval neighborhood.
The largest event will be on Tuesday at 6:00 PM at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, featuring an all-night vigil for 40,000 attendees, where the Pope is expected to encourage young people towards social engagement.
The schedule includes visits to Barcelona Cathedral, Brians prison, the Abbey of Montserrat – coinciding with its millennium celebrations – and the Sagrada Familia. At Montserrat, he will preside over the Holy Rosary with the escolania, and at the Sagrada Familia, he will officiate a Mass and bless the Jesus tower.
The papamobile tour through Barcelona will conclude on Wednesday at the Sagrada Familia, where the Pope will celebrate a solemn Mass marking the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death and bless the Jesus tower. The visit will end on Thursday, June 11th, with his departure for the Canary Islands.