Catalonia prepares for visit of Pope Leo XIV on June 9-10

Pope Leo XIV is set to visit Catalonia on June 9-10 as part of his official trip to Spain that will also take him to Madrid and the Canary Islands.

The Catalan leg falls in the middle of the pontiff's itinerary, which begins in Madrid on Saturday, June 6, and ends in the Canary Islands on June 12.

The timing is particularly significant as June 10 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, the designer of Barcelona's Sagrada Família.

The Pope will celebrate mass at the church to mark the occasion, before inaugurating and blessing the Tower of Jesus Christ, the tallest of the basilica's towers.

As both head of state of the Vatican and spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, the Pope's official visit combines diplomatic and religious duties.

Catalonia itinerary: Day 1

According to the schedule, the Pope is due to arrive at Barcelona-El Prat Airport at 12.30pm on Tuesday, where he will be welcomed by representatives of the Catalan government.

On his first day in Catalonia, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to lead prayers at Barcelona Cathedral before taking part in a large prayer vigil at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.

At the cathedral, the Pope will be welcomed by the Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Joan Josep Omella.

Following prayers and a homily, Leo XIV will descend to the crypt for a moment of reflection and prayer at the tomb of Saint Eulàlia.

He will also visit the cathedral cloister and greet civil authorities before leaving for the Episcopal Palace through the Saint Eulàlia Gate.

After lunch, the Pope is due to receive Catalan President Salvador Illa in a private audience at 4.15pm.

He will then meet members of the Augustinian Order before travelling to the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, where a prayer vigil is scheduled to begin at 8pm.

At the stadium, the Pope will greet attendees from the popemobile as he circles the track.

He will be welcomed with a castellers (human towers) display and opening remarks from Cardinal Omella.

The vigil will include a dialogue with young people, a Gospel reading, prayers and hymns before he returns to the Episcopal Palace at around 9.30pm.

Catalonia itinerary: Day 2

On Wednesday, Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Brians 1 prison at 10.50am, where he will hear testimonies from two female inmates and a prison chaplain before greeting other prisoners. At 11.20am, he will depart for Montserrat Abbey, where he will pray the rosary and meet members of the Benedictine community and pilgrims.

Later that afternoon, he will return to Barcelona for a meeting with Catholic charities and diocesan aid organizations at the Church of Sant Agustí in the Raval neighbourhood.

At 5.30pm, he will return to the Archbishop’s residence and from there travel by car to the Sagrada Família at 6.30pm. The final stretch along Carrer Rosselló will be made in the popemobile.

He is due to arrive at the basilica at 7pm, where he will be received by King Felipe VI.

He will then visit the crypt and the tomb of Antoni Gaudí before mass begins at 7.30pm, celebrated in Catalan and Spanish, with Cardinal Omella also taking part.

The blessing of the Tower of Jesus is scheduled for 9.15pm, followed by a light show and fireworks. He is expected to leave again for the Episcopal Palace at around 9.45pm.

The following morning, Thursday, June 11, the Pope is scheduled to depart Barcelona Airport for the Canary Islands.

Security operation and transport disruption

More than 6,000 police officers will be deployed during Pope Leo XIV's visit to Barcelona in what officials describe as one of the largest security operations ever carried out in Catalonia.

The operation will involve 5,600 officers from the Catalonia's Mossos d'Esquadra and 500 members of Barcelona's Guàrdia Urbana, with extensive security perimeters, road closures and public transport reinforcements planned across Barcelona and Montserrat.

The largest disruptions are expected around the Sagrada Família, Montjuïc and the Old Town.

Metro services will be reinforced, while up to 15 bus routes will be diverted. The Sagrada Família metro station will be closed on June 10. At Verdaguer station, Line 4 will be exit-only during peak hours.

More than 15,000 Spanish National Police officers will be deployed across Spain to provide security during Pope Leo XIV's visit from June 6 to 12, including 600 in Barcelona.

Popemobile

Pope Leo XIV will use two popemobiles and three electric vehicles during his visit to Spain, according to the Spanish Bishops' Conference.

One of the two popemobiles arrived at Barcelona-El Prat Airport on May 31. Once the Barcelona leg of the visit concludes, it will be transported to Tenerife.

The other popemobile will be used in Madrid and Gran Canaria.

One of the three buggy-style electric vehicles will also be used in Barcelona.

Catalan language debate

The Chicago-born pope is fluent in Spanish after several years living and working in Peru, but the use of Catalan during his visit has drawn attention ahead of the trip, particularly around the Sagrada Família ceremony.

Archbishop of Barcelona Cardinal Joan Josep Omella has said he expects Leo XIV to use some Catalan during the blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ, adding that the pontiff is "practising" parts of the liturgy in the language and that preparations are under way, even if he is not fluent.

The Catalan government says it has raised the issue with the Vatican. Justice minister Ramon Espadaler said the government had "insisted" on the importance of Catalan and had found "receptivity" from the Holy See.

Groups including Òmnium Cultural, the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), the Consell de la República and the Lliga Espiritual de la Mare de Déu de Montserrat have sent a letter to the Pope urging him to "prioritise" Catalan, particularly during the Sagrada Família blessing, stressing the symbolic importance of Gaudí’s legacy and the language's cultural significance.

A separate appeal by Plataforma per la Llengua (Platform for the Language) has made a similar request for a "generous use" of Catalan during the visit.

A group of former Catalan presidents, along with current and former speakers of the Catalan Parliament, have also signed an open letter urging the Pope to use Catalan during his visit.

Protest from secular organizations

Secular organizations have called a protest against the use of public resources to finance the visit of Pope Leo XIV.

The Ferrer i Guàrdia Foundation, Europa Laica and Ateus de Catalunya (Atheists of Catalonia) are organizing a rally for June 9 in El Born, Barcelona as part of the 'I'm not waiting for you' campaign. 

The groups say the Church "violates civil rights" because it opposes abortion and euthanasia. 

They also criticize the fact that the Church has not apologized for the part it played during the Franco dictatorship in Spain and the coup that led to his rise to power.

Furthermore, their manifesto highlights that the institution relegates women to "secondary and subordinate" roles.

Madrid and Canary Islands

Pope Leo XIV's trip to Spain begins in Madrid, where from Saturday to Monday he will meet King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, hold talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and deliver an address to the Spanish Congress, alongside a series of major public events.

After visiting Catalonia, the Pope will travel to the Canary Islands, where he will meet migrants and support organizations, hold talks with Church representatives in Gran Canaria, and celebrate open-air masses in Gran Canaria and Tenerife before returning to Rome on Friday evening.