Society

The Pope has declared the temple a “basilica”. He has also praised Antoni Gaudí’s church and the architect’s talent. The Pope was cheered by believers along the streets of Barcelona on his way to the Sagrada Família. Protesters against the Pope and his visit also showed their disagreement as the Popemobile went by. The ceremony started on time and, as announced, Prime Minister Zapatero did not attend. Benedict XVI continued criticising liberal laws and vindicated the traditional family and its values

Barcelona is preparing the final details for the Pope’s visit. Benedict XVI is coming to Barcelona on Saturday night and will leave on Sunday evening. He is coming to declare the Sagrada Familia church a “basilica” and dedicate the temple to God.

The most prestigious choirs of Catalonia will sing at the religious ceremony inside Antoni Gaudí’s temple. The Orféo Català, the Coral Sant Jordi and the children’s choir of Montserrat Abbey will be amongst the participants.

Spanish Episcopal Conference states that dedicating the Sagrada Família temple to God was a “personal desire” of Benedict XVI. 1,673 journalists have registered for Barcelona’s visit.

Guissona, in the centre of Catalonia, has a large immigrant population, which now represents 50.08% of the village’s population. The reason is that Guissona hosts the largest company in the province, the Cooperativa Agropecuària de Guissona (CAG), a meat processing business. 90% of Guissona’s population is employed.

Emergency Medical Services of Catalonia (SEM) will be equipped with 160 people, 38 ambulances and 4 hospital tents for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Barcelona. Thousand of people, most of them old, are expected to be on the streets and in the events scheduled. Barcelona is getting ready for the Pope’s visit taking place on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th of November to bless the Sagrada Família church.

The Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona responded to criticisms associated with the Pope’s upcoming visit in an interview with CNA. A controversy has been going on in Catalonia regarding the costs of Benedict XVI’s visit to Barcelona, when he will bless the famous Sagrada Família church and declare it a basilica. Public administrations will pay for the security and disturbance costs associated with the visit. Laicism groups have protested for the use of public money.

A collaborative study has shown great possibilities for economic development along the B-30 highway outside of Barcelona, in the area of Vallès. Researchers see collaboration between universities and businesses as an “essential” part of this process.

Catalonia is the autonomous community with the highest number of foreigners receiving social security benefits. The data shows a 1.23% decrease compared to September of last year.

Coastal city of Sitges, 25 km South from Barcelona, plans to become a leading pole of creativity. 'QUALIA Sitges' will dedicate 100,000 square metres to the fields of art and creativity. One of the main objectives of QUALIA is the creation of the 'Barcelona Institute of Performing Arts'.

A collaborative study has shown that if consumers know if fruits are acidic or sweet, fruit consumption in supermarkets may raise up to 30%. The study has also concluded that about 75% of the population prefers sweet fruit while the rest prefer acidic.

The project funded by the Institut Ramon Llull –the institute promoting Catalan language and culture abroad– aims to promote the use of Catalan beyond the areas of Romance Language Studies and Philology.

The Catalan Government has declared the Collserola hills as a Natural Park. The old project has experienced several delays, but today it got the green light. The mountains will now have special protection and further construction will go through strict controls.

On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, NGOs ask the Government to focus on policies that reduce social exclusion.

Leading companies in the infrastructure and information technology industries, Abertis Telecom and Indra will work together with the town halls of both cities in a pilot programme to improve city life. The project foresees the creation of a reference centre in Catalonia focused on providing technological solutions to the cities’ problems.