BarcelonaIt is a done deal. It only remains to be officially confirmed who will replace Cardinal Joan Josep Omella as Archbishop of Barcelona and when. Before it is made public, however, the apostolic nuncio to Spain, Piero Pioppo – the envoy of Pope Francis – made a trip to Tarragona last week, from Tuesday to Friday, where he met with the archbishop of the diocese and primate of Catalonia, Joan Planellas.
The first three months of grace after the Pope's visit have already passed, and knowledgeable ecclesiastical sources point out that this Vatican “decorum” has been exceeded and that, therefore, Omella's replacement is imminent, especially after celebrating the festivities of the patron saint of Barcelona, the Virgin of Mercy. It should also be taken into account that the Spanish Episcopal Conference meets next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Faced with the change, as this newspaper has verified, among Catholic, clerical, and secular Catalanism, there is no longer a fear that a parachutist will land in the Principality for the episcopal see, as happened in 2015 with the Aragonese from the Franja, Joan Josep Omella, who was bishop of Calahorra when he was appointed. By “parachutist,” it is understood someone alien to the proper ecclesiastical tradition of Catalonia.
This confidence is reflected in the fact that, despite the secrecy surrounding Omella's succession, the future replacement is being experienced with “absolute tranquility” at the Archbishopric of Barcelona, according to several sources consulted. This indicates that the name has been known for some time, that it has been accepted, and that only the public announcement is missing. Several ecclesiastical voices relate that this is a symptom of total agreement and, therefore, that it is to the archbishop's liking, in addition to meeting the requirement of speaking Catalan. Some recall that Omella is a member of the Congregation for Bishops, which is in charge of appointments.
The situation contrasts with the usual nervousness in Barcelona during recent appointments: “In the relief of Cardinal Jubany there were many nerves and many candidates, as also happened with Ricard Maria Carles or with Lluís Martínez Sistach,” recount ecclesiastical sources, in addition to the recent case of Omella, which also came as a great surprise. But now, they say, “a parachutist would be very strange, it would be surprising.” In any case, ultimately the decision depends on the Pope, no matter how many lists of candidates have been requested and no matter how much influence Omella has had.
Catalanist impression
Beyond the strictly ecclesial sphere, the former director general of Religious Affairs and director of the pro-Catalan Joan Carrera Foundation, Carles Armengol, points out that “there are enough candidates for there to be a Catalan bishop with an understanding of the local reality”. He also says that at this moment “there are no conditions for anything strident”. Furthermore, he recalls that “the Pope's visit and the commitment to the Catalan language that he showed, very significant”, and therefore rules out “a parachutist”, even less so in a context in which “the changes in the appointment of bishops in Spain are leading to a rebalancing and they are not so conservative” within the Spanish Episcopal Conference, but also due to the fact that “the Vatican is more aware of the reality of Catalonia than at other times”.
The president of the also pro-Catalan Spiritual League of the Mother of God of Montserrat, Joan Maluquer, asserts that “the Pope's attitude during the visit gives positive signs”. “Mastering Catalan is not enough, it is necessary to understand how the country works and the importance of the Church to the country”, he defends, adding that if someone from outside were brought in “it would be a second chapter of someone who caused suffering due to not explicitly defending Catalan in the liturgy or in activities”, he says in reference to Omella. “The Pope has shown that he knows the Catalan reality and that he will look into it”, concludes Father Cinto Busquet, a cleric committed to Catalanism and who limits himself to ensuring that he expects a good successor who understands the country.
The names
ARA already reported on the profiles of candidates for the succession, but as of now the list has been simplified, although a “surprise candidate” can never be ruled out, some sources say, in line with the appointments in Lleida and Girona of two people who were not bishops –at one point the abbot of Montserrat, Manel Gasch, was mentioned in ecclesiastical circles–, which would be an unprecedented change of direction in the Catalan capital.
In any case, the auxiliary bishops continue to be prominent names, as happened in Madrid with José Cobo: they are David Abadías and Javier Vilanova. The former is seen as very young, born in 1973, but highly valued because he is a doctor, organized the pontiff's trip well, and has handled delicate abuse cases. The latter is the one who carries the weight of the curia with skill. Both are Catalan and enjoy Omella's trust. The bishop of Tortosa, Sergi Gordo, is also well regarded and was an auxiliary bishop of Barcelona under Omella, but the fact of removing him from the Ebro see only three years later would work against him.
The one who was the great favorite from the beginning, Francesc Conesa, now bishop of Solsona, could be a consensus name, but he is Valencian, although he has always been among the most present names due to having pacified the diocese –stained by Xavier Novell– and for having led the Synod within Spain. In any case, some ecclesiastical sources, who bet on the surprise effect, maintain that “you cannot undress one saint to dress another”, referring to the episcopal sees. The option of the archbishop of Tarragona, Joan Planellas, would be a pleasant surprise for the most Catalanist, but it is recognized as highly improbable.
More bizarre would be to appoint the bishop of Pamplona, the Aragonese Florencio Roselló –it would be an operation identical to that of Omella, someone who knows Catalan because he was trained in Catalonia– or the archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saiz Meneses –he was bishop of Terrassa and learned Catalan despite being Castilian by origin– or, even, the bishop of Ajaccio, Javier Bustillo. The archbishop of Valencia, Enric Benavent, is not seen as plausible either.
On the other hand, no matter how soon the appointment is made official, he will not be able to take office before Christmas or Epiphany, since a two-month margin is always given for the succession. At this moment, there is the highest number of Catalan bishops of the modern era.
A significant visit to Tarragona
The pastoral visit of the nuncio Piero Pioppo to Tarragona last week took place, without a doubt, at a key moment, but it is true that, beyond what he may have discussed with Planellas, it had already been agreed upon with the previous nuncio, but had not been carried out.
Consulted by ARA, the archbishop expresses, limiting himself exclusively to this trip, that it has been "extraordinarily positive" due to the four days in which he coincided with Santa Tecla and was able to meet with religious figures, gave lectures to priests, and celebrated Eucharists such as at Mas d'Enric for La Mercè. "He was able to take the pulse of the Church in Tarragona," maintains Planellas, "sharing the pastoral plan" to "strengthen ecclesial communion," in addition to experiencing "a heartwarming day with the prisoners."
This has been the first major pastoral visit to a diocese among those assigned to Pioppo, after he went to Andorra to preside over a mass. In Tarragona, Pioppo made an effort to use Catalan—the language of the liturgy—also in parts of his homilies.