The controversy surrounding the presence of Catalan in the Pope's Barcelona visit events continues. The bishop of Girona, Octavi Vilà, has stated his support for the main religious event, the blessing of the Tower of Jesus at the Sagrada Familia, to be conducted in Catalan rather than Spanish as currently planned. Vilà has expressed regret over the "more significant presence" that, in his view, the Catalan language will have at the event, recalling that Pope Francis already blessed an image of the Mare de Déu de Montserrat in Catalan two and a half years ago.

"I would have wished for a more significant presence than it seems there will ultimately be. It would have been more satisfying if the blessing of the Tower of Jesus had been in Catalan," stated the bishop from Girona. Vilà hopes that, at the very least, other church officials present, such as the bishop of Sant Feliu, the Abbot of Montserrat, or the archbishop of Barcelona, will ensure "a notable presence" of Catalan in their speeches. He also holds out hope that Cardinal Robert Prevost's address might include the Catalan language.

The bishop of Girona also referred to the prayer the pontiff will lead at the Olympic Stadium of Montjuïc. Vilà confirmed that he has secured approximately 300 tickets for faithful from Girona who will travel to the city. These faithful will travel by organized buses to facilitate their journey to Montjuïc and the Sagrada Familia, taking into account the anticipated traffic disruptions.

For its part, the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) has distanced itself from the linguistic controversy. In the press conference following the Executive Council meeting, spokesperson Sílvia Paneque emphasized that the organization of liturgical events and the choice of languages "do not fall under the Generalitat's purview," as it is an exclusive competence of the Vatican.