Vilarrubí: Civil society bids farewell to a "man of principles"

BarcelonaThe parish church of Sants Gervasi i Protasi, in Plaça de la Bonanova, in the heart of affluent Barcelona, hosted the farewell ceremony on Tuesday for businessman Carles Vilarrubí i Carrió, who passed away early Sunday morning. The event brought together business leaders and prominent figures from the economic, political, and social spheres. One of the first to arrive was former president Jordi Pujol, for whom Vilarrubí had great admiration, leading him to become one of Pujol's closest confidants, holding positions such as secretary general and deputy director in the early days of Catalunya Ràdio and head of the Catalan Government's Autonomous Gaming and Betting Authority (EAJA).

Former presidents Artur Mas, with whom he once served on the board of directors of La Seda; José Montilla; and Pedro Aragonés were also in attendance. The current Speaker of the Parliament, Josep Rull, was the highest-ranking official present, along with the Minister of Business, Miquel Sàmper, and the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig. President Salvador Illa visited the funeral home on Monday. Prominent figures from Junts and the former Convergència party, to which the deceased had been linked, were also present. "There are no longer any figures from the old Convergència like Vilarrubí," a former high-ranking official of the Generalitat under CiU remarked after the ceremony. Among those present were former Minister of Economy Jaume Giró and former Mayor of Barcelona Xavier Trias.

Despite the Christmas holiday period, the ceremony brought together several prominent figures from the business world, including the presidents of Banc Sabadell (Josep Oliu) and Santander (Ana Botín). Sol Daurella, Vilarrubí's wife and the richest woman in Catalonia, who is also the president and main shareholder of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), is a board member of Santander. Also in attendance were José Creuheras, president of Planeta; Maite Barrera, founder of Bluecap and a trustee of La Caixa; and former Barça presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, on whose boards Vilarrubí served as vice president. Businessman and potential Barça candidate Víctor Font was also present.

With readings by his children Eduard and Carlota, from his first marriage to Maria Rosa Jordà, and Sol, from his later union with the president of CCEP, the ceremony was officiated by Jesuit priest Enric Puig, a friend of the deceased who officiated the wedding of his son, the former Director General of Youth, during Pujol's presidency. Vilarrubí was "a restless, methodical, persevering, and creative man," with great fidelity to his principles, the homily's author emphasized. He also underscored his love "for the country, its people, and above all, for his family." In this regard, he recalled their Sunday lunchtime gatherings. All of this was accompanied by live musical interludes that resonated within the walls of the neo-Renaissance parish church designed by the architect Josep Danés i Torras in the 1940s. The swan ofHe Carnival of the Animals, by Camille Saint-Saëns; the traditional Birdsong, popularized by Pau Casals, and in the end... the Virolai, the hymn dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat with lyrics by priest Cinto Verdaguer.