Pope Leo lands in Barcelona on Spain tour focused on war and migration
Pope Leo's Visit to Spain: Key Events and Messages
By Joshua McElwee
Arrival in Barcelona and Global Crisis Warnings
BARCELONA, June 9 (Reuters) - Pope Leo on Tuesday arrived in Barcelona for the second stop of a week-long tour of Spain in which he has warned that escalating conflicts have pushed the world into a profound crisis.
Address to Spain's Parliament
Leo, who has adopted a more forceful tone recently against the direction of global leadership, also told Spain's parliament on Monday that the "moral greatness" of any country depended on how it treated migrants and other vulnerable populations.
Public Reception and Homily in Barcelona
As in Madrid, Leo was greeted by large crowds as he arrived at Barcelona's 14th century cathedral to preside over a midday prayer, where he spoke a few words in Catalan at the start of his homily before switching to Spanish.
Messages to Catholics and Calls for Selflessness
In a farewell speech before leaving Madrid, the first U.S. pope urged Catholics in the city to be selfless and help those in need.
Critique of Self-Interest
"In a world that is constantly influenced by a logic of self-interest and profit ... it is important to think and live according to a more authentic mentality," he said.
Key Events in Barcelona
Meetings and Prayer Vigils
SAGRADA FAMILIA TOWER
Leo was also due on Tuesday to meet the leader of the northeastern region of Catalonia and hold a prayer vigil with young people at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
Visit to Sagrada Familia and Montserrat Abbey
The centrepiece of Leo's visit to Barcelona will be on Wednesday, when the pope will visit an abbey in nearby Montserrat and inaugurate the newest tower of the Sagrada Familia, the modernist basilica that has become the world's tallest church.
Legacy of Antoni Gaudí
The visit to the basilica is also celebrating the legacy of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, whose designs were mocked in his lifetime but are now being praised. A fervent Catholic who died on June 10, 1926, he is on the path to Catholic sainthood.
Sexual Abuse Controversy
Meeting with Abuse Victims
The pope, who met six victims of sexual abuse by members of Spain's clergy on Monday, has been criticised by some abuse survivors for his plans to visit the abbey in Montserrat.
Montserrat Abbey and Abuse Reports
It was included in a 2023 report by Spain's human rights ombudsman that estimated that hundreds of thousands of victims had been abused by Spanish clergy over decades. In 2019, the abbot of Montserrat publicly apologised to victims of sexual abuse at the abbey's school.
Final Stop: The Canary Islands and Focus on Migration
Leo's visit to Spain will culminate on Friday in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off western Africa, where the pope will meet some 1,000 migrants who have crossed dangerous Atlantic waters on small dinghies to reach Europe.
Pope's Message on Migration
In his speech to parliament on Monday, the pope said a lack of help for the world's migrants was challenging "the ethical foundation of the international order".
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by David Latona and Alison Williams)
