The Pope's trip went well

The blessing ceremony of the tallest tower of the Sagrada Família is one of those events we will never forget.

a ceremony that did justice to Gaudí's creative geniusBut, above all, it was a ceremony that did justice to Gaudí's creative genius, who died a hundred years ago yesterday. If the architect's dreams had no limits, the lighting of the tallest tower also had none. Catalans, who are always examining ourselves demanding of the world, had a reason to feel happy yesterday around a celebration.

A celebration that was not easy to balance, with all sorts of forces pulling in opposite directions. And in this regard, it must be recognized that Pope Leo XIV has shown that he has listened to and understood what Catalan Christians were asking of him and has spoken very, very well in Catalan. It is regrettable that pressure is needed for such a normal use of languages, but we already know how things work.

Speaking of how things work and the '92 Games, members of various choirs have reported that they were expelled by the police and security personnel of the basilica in the middle of their performance.

According to reports to ARA some singers, after mass, the police led them outside the temple, but not to continue with the performance, but to move them aside. Just before mass began, security personnel from the Sagrada Família reviewed "one by one" all the sheet music booklets. Some of the members had an estelada printed on them and, according to the same sources, these people had their booklets confiscated without any explanation. Later, and despite the surprise, the choirs began their performance inside Gaudí's cathedral, but while singing the Virolai some observed how "a lot of secret police" were coming up to where they were. Before they had even finished singing the Virolai, the agents began to make the singers come down from the choir lofts and directed them outside. The rumor had spread that these 600 singers wanted to sing Els segadors. When political life is not normalized, when the presence of the Kings of Spain at an event unleashes police zeal so as not to offend their majesties, that is when people react. It has happened and will happen again as long as things do not change.

Speaking of politics, Presidents Sánchez and Illa have been seen a lot alongside Leo XIV. We already knew Illa was Catholic. Sánchez, who was not remembered for having entered a church since he became president, has used the Pope to gain an ally. The Spanish state has no official religious confession, but both governments have supported the papal visit without reservation.

This morning, in Barcelona, alongside the pride of last night, there is the conviction that yesterday's images will bring even more tourists to Barcelona. In this regard, I recommend our editorial today, which states that there are too many tourists and not enough housing, and that it would be a good legacy of Leo XIV's visit if, in the future, the income from the Sagrada Família were used to build housing and accommodate immigrants. In fact, they already accommodate poor immigrants, and not just immigrants. So much money enters the Sagrada Família every day that the Patronage of the Board of Builders of the temple has Social Action Funds for the socially vulnerable groups of Barcelona, Terrassa, and Sant Feliu de Llobregat that form the ecclesiastical province of Barcelona.By the way, precisely yesterday a man was murdered in the middle of the street (Balmes street) in Barcelona, in broad daylight.It could be a crime committed by a drug trafficking gang. Be aware that the drug business is so fabulously multi-million dollar that it can not only pay hitmen, but it can pay police and judges and governments. We have seen this in other countries and we should know how to stop it.Good morning.