Pope Leo appoints Octavi Vilà as new Archbishop of Barcelona

Pope Leo has appointed the Bishop of Girona, Octavi Vilà, as the new Archbishop of Barcelona, succeeding Cardinal Joan Josep Omella. 

The ceremony will be on December 19 at the Sagrada Família, as the Barcelona Cathedral is under construction, explained Omella at his farewell conference.

Originally from Tarragona, Vilà was appointed Bishop of Girona in February 2024 by Pope Francis and had previously served as the Abbot of Poblet. 

Vilà is noted for his background in history and documentation, his cultural engagement and the relationships he has cultivated across various political and social spheres.

Before entering monastic life, he worked for over twenty years at the Tarragona Newspaper Archive and held positions in various cultural and heritage institutions. 

He was ordained a priest on May 1, 2015, and just seven months later, on December 3, he was elected abbot, succeeding Josep Alegre.

His tenure at the helm of Poblet coincided with the most intense years of the pro-independence process. Vilà maintained contact with representatives of various political persuasions and visited imprisoned pro-independence leaders. 

He worked to build bridges, avoid confrontation, and seek consensus. In 2016, he welcomed Carles Puigdemont, then Catalan President, for a private visit, during which the pro-independence leader joined the monks for prayer and lunch.

Cardinal Joan Josep Omella is stepping down from the Archdiocese of Barcelona after eleven years at the helm of the diocese, a period marked by the independence process, his growing influence at the Vatican, and his tenure as president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. 

Pope Francis placed him in charge of the Church in Barcelona in 2015 and named him a cardinal two years later.

Omella submitted his resignation from the leadership of the Archdiocese in 2021, upon reaching the age of 75, the age at which, under canon law, bishops must place their office at the disposal of the Pope. 

Nevertheless, he continued to serve as archbishop for more than five years, until the Vatican finalized the transition.

In June 2018, Omella revealed that he had mediated contacts between the Spanish government and President Carles Puigdemont during the days leading up to the declaration of independence in October 2017. 

His efforts to maintain bridges between the two sides did not shield him from criticism by pro-independence factions, who accused him of being too closely aligned with Spanish institutions. 

In June 2026, an investigation by El País included him among dozens of high-ranking officials in the Spanish Church implicated in alleged cover-ups or a failure to act in response to reports of sexual abuse. 

The Archbishopric of Barcelona categorically denied that the cardinal had covered up any case and defended his actions. 

His successor will be tasked with overseeing the implementation of the pastoral reorganization initiated in recent years, set against a backdrop of secularization and the ongoing transformation of Christian communities.