These are the most extreme security measures for the Pope's visit
Changes have had to be made to the scenarios and the Government's escorts will not always be able to be with the counselors
BarcelonaRarely has Catalonia been so fortified as for the visit of Pope Leo XIV. Police sources speak of an unprecedented and extraordinary operation, which will mobilize more police officers than ever before (up to 7,000) and which bears the name Albus. The Mossos have chosen it because it means white in Latin and white is the color of the pontiff's usual attire, becoming his most recognizable visual symbol.
The Mossos are planning this operation in several alert stages. In the days before the Pope's arrival, they will be on pre-alert; when there are only a few hours left for the pontiff to land, they will move to alert; and once Leo XIV sets foot on Catalan soil, they will move to maximum alert. During these three stages, security measures will be progressively increased, such as control of the sewage system or the surroundings of places where large events will take place.
When Leo lands at El Prat airport, a security cordon will escort him to his destinations. This is a capsule that, initially, will be protected by his personal police, the Vatican Gendarmerie. Around it, however, there will be Catalan and Spanish police officers at practically all elevated points, in addition to drones and helicopters in the air to control the security corridor. In fact, the task of detecting unauthorized drones will also be intensified, and it is not ruled out that at large events there will be frequency jammers that could also affect mobile phones.
Surprising changes
In fact, the Pope's security is so strict that surprising changes have had to be made. For example, to the stage that was planned at the Lluís Companys Stadium. The reason: no one can pass over or under the pontiff and all movements made must be visible to the Vatican guard. One of the Vatican police's obsessions is that nothing can happen that they cannot see. He is so strict with the security of Leo XIV that the escorts of the councilors and the president of the Generalitat will not be able to accompany them at all times. This will happen, for example, during the Pope's visit to Montserrat. Security goes so far as to say that some objects for the events, such as pieces of audiovisual material, are brought directly from Rome.
All police sources admit that the most delicate moment of the Pope's visit is the journey with the popemobile through the Eixample of Barcelona to the Sagrada Família. For a stretch, the vehicle will go uncovered. To protect it, three security arcs will be built. The first, as always, is that of the Vatican police, who will walk. Then there will be a cordon of National Police specialists and another from a rapid intervention team of the Mossos d'Esquadra.
25% of the Mossos
All this will be added to an intense public control task. The events will have metal detectors and exhaustive security arches, and there will also be identifications and baggage checks on the street. The effort of the Mossos will be such that 25% of the corps' agents will be deployed. During the last visit of a pontiff to Barcelona in 2010, they had to mobilize aspiring officers who were still at the Police Academy. In these operations, besides the Pope's presence, the many authorities accompanying him must also be taken into account. Furthermore, these events will take place mostly in open spaces with a large public turnout, which further complicates the security operation.
“We will have a high-profile event, with authorities, massive gatherings, and mobility that we must manage. As happens on other occasions, other ingredients will be added, which we must make compatible with this assignment,” stated Superintendent Joan Salamaña, general coordinator of the operation, on Friday. He also explained that they are working so that the Pope's events can be developed “with the least possible impact on the normal lives of citizens, especially in Barcelona”.
