▲ Pope Leo XIV visiting Barcelona, Spain
Pope Leo XIV showed respect for regional identity by delivering a speech in Catalan in Barcelona, Spain, on June 9, local time.
According to Reuters and other news agencies, the Pope arrived at Barcelona's 14th-century Gothic cathedral at midday to preside over midday prayers.
Thousands of Catholic faithful and citizens gathered behind barricades set up around the square to catch a glimpse of the Pope's visit.
They waved flags and chanted, "Long live the Pope!"
The Pope began his homily by ascending the altar and delivering his first words in Catalan: "Dear brothers and sisters."
The Catalan language is a key element representing the region's distinct cultural and political identity amid long-standing tensions with Spain's central government.
It is distinctly different from standard Spanish.
Prior to this, the Pope visited Madrid the previous day to address the Spanish Parliament.
At the time, a lawmaker from Junts, a hardline pro-independence Catalan party, expressed gratitude in advance, noting that the Pope planned to use Catalan.
The Pope, who has recently been vocal in his sharp criticism of the actions of international leaders, also urged respect for diversity during his parliamentary address, emphasizing that a nation's moral greatness depends on how it treats immigrants and the socially vulnerable.
He also warned that conflicts around the world are pushing the international community into a severe crisis, and appealed for solidarity with vulnerable groups.
The highlight of this visit to Barcelona is the event at the Sagrada Família (Holy Family) Basilica, scheduled for today, June 10.
The Sagrada Família is an unfinished basilica that has been under construction for 145 years.
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet, known as "God's Architect," envisioned a cathedral that forms a forest, carving the will of God and the Bible directly onto stone. Since his death on June 10, 1926, subsequent generations of architects have carried on his grand work for a century.
The Pope is scheduled to visit the nearby Montserrat Abbey before blessing the new tower of the Sagrada Família.
However, the Pope's visit to Montserrat Abbey has drawn criticism from some groups representing victims of clerical sexual abuse.
A report published in 2023 estimated that Spanish clergy members had sexually abused hundreds of thousands of people at the abbey in the past.
The Pope's tour of Spain will conclude on June 12 with a visit to the Spanish Canary Islands.
There, he is scheduled to meet with about 1,000 migrants who arrived in Europe after crossing the dangerous Atlantic route from the west coast of Africa in small boats.
During this tour, it was confirmed that the Pope also met with Puerto Rican Latin pop star Bad Bunny.
The Pope and Bad Bunny reportedly met and shared a brief conversation after a church event held in Madrid on the evening of June 8.
Bad Bunny is currently performing in Madrid.
Earlier, aboard the papal plane heading to Spain, the Pope joked about Bad Bunny's popularity, saying, "If people had to choose between going to see Bad Bunny or the Pope, I think many would go to see Bad Bunny."
In February of this year, Bad Bunny performed at the NFL Super Bowl halftime show held in California, U.S.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.