Pilar Malla dies, first ombudswoman of Barcelona and a benchmark in the social struggle
He directed Caritas Diocesana in the Catalan capital and also piloted the Social Services of the Generalitat
BarcelonaPilar Malla, a reference in the fight against poverty, passed away this Wednesday at the age of 95. Malla was the first ombudswoman of Barcelona, a former member of parliament, and former director of Caritas Diocesana in the Catalan capital. Caritas remembers her as a person who worked "intensely" to make the reality of poverty visible and to promote social responses that would "contribute to people's autonomy." "Charity, helping others, means love. And love is to love others as yourself. If you love others as yourself, do for others what you would want for yourself," Malla stated.
A teacher and graduate in social work, Malla held the position of Barcelona's ombudswoman from 2004 to 2010, and was also a member of the Parliament for the PSC in 1999. Before that, between 1978 and 1981, she directed the Social Services of the Generalitat and was also the director of Caritas Diocesana of Barcelona between 1993 and 1998. In a statement, Caritas mourns her passing and recalls one of her phrases: "In the end, it is about making sure that people do not depend on you, but rather that they can fend for themselves."
Creu de Sant Jordi in the year 2004
Born in El Pont d'Armentera (Alt Camp), Malla was also one of the founders and vice-president of the board of the Catalan Solidarity Center (CECAS), between 1995 and 2006, a foundation promoted by Caritas Catalunya that works with people in situations of drug dependency. Regarding recognitions, among others, she received the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2004, as well as the Joan XXIII Peace Memorial in 1985, the Lluís Carulla Honorary Award in 1988, and the Gold Cross of the Civil Order of Social Solidarity from the Spanish government in 1996.
The Department of Social Rights and Inclusion, in a message on social media, has mourned the passing of Pilar Malla, "a benchmark in the fight against poverty and for a dignified life for everyone". Minister Raúl Moreno has described her as "a woman of action and a tireless worker for the dignity of the most disadvantaged people". Moreno pointed out that Malla "brought poverty to light and gave a voice to those who needed it most".