Omella confirms that the Pope will speak Catalan at the Sagrada Familia
The archbishop of Barcelona assures that the pontiff is preparing to use the language
BarcelonaAfter the controversy generated by the publication of the missal in which Catalan was excluded from the blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ of the Sagrada Família, steps were taken within the Catalan episcopate to convey to Pope Leo XIV that Catalan should also be used there, as reported by ARA. But this Thursday the cardinal archbishop of Barcelona, Joan Josep Omella, confirmed at the Càritas Barcelona press conference that he "will speak in Catalan" at this event, along with Spanish. That is to say, the Holy See has agreed to listen to the plea of the Catalan dioceses. Textually, Omella commented that he "will bless a part in Catalan": "He will speak Catalan as far as he can reach him," he stated.
The archbishop asserted that the pontiff "will make the effort": "I know this personally, this controversy was unnecessary, the Pope knows from the first moment that Catalan is spoken here and he prepared his speeches, part of them in Catalan," he concluded. He even highlighted that he knows "positively that he is rehearsing readings in Catalan." At the same time, he lamented that "some people like to start fires where there are none," referring to some criticisms that have been voiced on this matter, even against him personally for the organizing role of the archbishopric. In any case, he understood that "people were alarmed" by saying that "he will not speak Catalan" when they saw the missal, but that the reality will be different, in addition to the fact that the homily is missing. As Omella explained, "the Pope is working to apply his message also in the language of the country, which is highly valued by Catalans and from abroad, and the Pope respects all languages."
"From the first moment it was reasonable for the Pope to speak Catalan," according to the cardinal, and he excused himself by saying "the blessing is written in Spanish so that everyone in Spain can understand it," but that when it comes to saying it, it will be different. The cardinal also commented that Leo XIV "is preparing his sermon," the text of which is not in the missal, and that "he will say some words in Catalan as far as he can reach."
Pressure
Omella has been questioned about political pressure from multiple fronts, although there has also been pressure from various bishops – from Girona, Lleida, Urgell, and Tarragona – with public and private statements, but he has stated that the provision for the use of Catalan was clear and that actions have been taken since the first day. This is what sources from the archbishopric comment, that the linguistic issue has been addressed with actions from the first day. "Not because they pressure me... the Pope is above all these controversies," he pointed out, emphasizing the pontiff's independent role. But the head of the Church in Barcelona has also asked "that people remember that it is our language, that we love it, and the Pope too."
He was surprised by the controversy and felt sorry, and therefore, he reviewed the defense of the Catalan language, recalling that he speaks with his family and that he asked Pope Francis, during the blessing of an image of a copy of La Moreneta, to greet the 800 pilgrims in Catalan. But he recalled that on that occasion he also had a difficult time because the pontiff was surprised when he saw the text in Spanish, but "the text that the monks prepared": "I had nothing to do with it, but there was also a controversy against Cardinal Omella," he lamented.
On this occasion, Omella also said that he knows the origin of the controversy, although he did not want to reveal it, and explained how the pontiff's liturgy was prepared: "We appointed commissions, a group that prepared the liturgy, the person responsible was the rector of the Sagrada Família basilica himself [Father Josep Maria Turull] who prepared it, and this is sent to Rome and Rome decides. We said that we are in Catalonia and a part must be in Catalan," he related.
Politically, the President of the Parliament, Josep Rull, spoke with various bishops asking for the presence of Catalan. The request for Catalan also came from Junts, ERC, Òmnium, the Lliga Espiritual de la Mare de Déu de Montserrat, the ANC, the Consell de la República, and other entities. The harshest was the former President of the Generalitat and Junts leader, Carles Puigdemont, who published an image created with artificial intelligence in which Omella burns Catalan, surrounded by bonfires and a Spanish flag, reproducing a scene typical of the Inquisition.
