Some singers warned the Episcopal Conference of the change of sheet music at the Sagrada Familia

BarcelonaThe scene in which 600 singers were expelled from the Sagrada Família during the blessing ceremony of the cross of the Tower of Jesus by Pope Leo XIV began with the warning of some of the choir members to the Episcopal Conference (CEE). This was revealed by the president of the CEE, Luis Argüello, at the press conference summarizing the Pope's visit to the State.

Argüello said that, while they did not know the official report of what happened, they did have information about some details of the "attempted intervention by independence groups" in the most relevant event of the Pope's visit to Barcelona. In fact, the president of the Episcopal Conference admitted that it was members of the same choirs that were supposed to perform in Gaudí's temple who revealed that changes had been made to the scores so that some of them would hide estelades between the pages.

According to Argüello, "some group had prepared" that during the choirs' performance on the steps of the Sagrada Família some of the singers would display estelades, "shout «Independence» and sing Els segadors". Upon learning of these events, as detailed by the president of the CEE, the Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police removed the choir members through a different door than planned, and they ultimately did not participate in the final scene of the ceremony on the basilica's steps. In this way, the intention to "make this gesture" in front of "the Pope, the King, and the authorities" was frustrated, Argüello explained.

Police during the 'Virolai'

As some singers detailed to ARA, the police action took place during the first part of the event held last week at the Sagrada Família. According to one of those affected, just before the mass began, security personnel of the Sagrada Família reviewed "one by one" all the sheet music booklets. Some of the members had printed a Catalan flag on them and, according to the same sources, these people had their booklet confiscated without any explanation. Later, however, the choirs began their performance inside Gaudí's cathedral as planned.

While singing the Virolai, they observed that "a lot of secret police" were heading up to where they were. "I thought it was just the general protocol for the Pope," admitted one of the affected singers. When they hadn't even finished singing the hymn to the Virgin of Montserrat, the agents began to make them descend from the choirs and led them outside. Once outside, they realized they were not in the right place, but the police contained them for 15 minutes and they could not sing in the final performance.