President meets Pope Leo XIV and invites him to inauguration of Sagrada Família's Jesus Christ Tower

President Salvador Illa held a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Wednesday morning.

The half-hour meeting was described by Illa as "moving" and provided an opportunity for him to explain the significance of the Montserrat Monastery's Millennium celebrations and to invite the pontiff to the inauguration of the Jesus Christ Tower at the Sagrada Família on June 10.

Pope Leo XIV told Illa that he is not in a position to confirm his attendance, but that he is "eager" to visit Barcelona, a city he already knows.

During the meeting, Illa and Leo XIV discussed the genocide in Gaza and the aid flotilla, as well as the current situation in Catalonia, but not the independence process or the amnesty law, according to the president.

Gaza, flotilla, and global tensions

Speaking in St Peter's Square following the meeting, Illa told reporters that he discussed "the unacceptable situation in Gaza" with Pope Leo XIV and they expressed a shared desire and will to ensure that the humanitarian mission of the flotilla heading toward the region is respected.

According to the Catalan president, they also spoke about the global situation, marked by "excessive polarization, rising tensions, and a need to calm things down, to remain mindful of the values of Christian humanism and, above all, to avoid contributing to either verbal or non-verbal escalations of conflict."

The pope conveyed "a desire for peace and a commitment to learning to live together, to dialogue, and not to let differences break the fabric of coexistence."

"I found his message to be very clear and inspiring," Illa added.

Invitation to Catalonia 

Salvador Illa used the audience with the pope to formally invite him to the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família on June 10 in Barcelona.

The president noted that a prior invitation had already been extended through Cardinal Omella, the archbishop of Barcelona.

"He told us he wasn't in a position to confirm, which is understandable given his schedule, but it seemed to me that he would take it into consideration," Illa said.

The event in Barcelona next year will also coincide with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death. However, Illa noted that the architect's ongoing process of beatification was not discussed during the meeting.

One subject that was raised, though, was the millennium of the Montserrat Monastery – with the president emphasizing "the importance of Montserrat in the spiritual, social, and civic life of Catalonia, and its deep ties to Catalan identity."

Olive oil and cured meats

President Illa was accompanied at the Vatican by Catalan justice minister Ramon Espadaler, and Spain's ambassador to the Holy See, Isabel Celaá. The meeting began at 8:30am and lasted just under half an hour.

The Catalan president is the first Spanish representative to be received by the new pontiff and one of the first political leaders to meet him.

So far, the only known meeting involving the pope has been with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May, which focused on the war in Ukraine.

Illa presented the pope with a variety of institutional and personal gifts, including a replica of the Sagrada Família's Tower of the Virgin Mary, as well as Catalan olive oil and cured meats.

Illa's meeting with the pope is part of a broader trip to Italy, which includes visits with Lazio region president Francesco Rocca and Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

He will also participate in the Festival delle Città, an annual gathering of hundreds of local and regional authorities to discuss policies and governance.