Artur Hanula
The Pope’s meeting with volunteers was the last official point of his visit to the Spanish capital. The Pope said that “selflessness is the leaven by which the human, moral, and spiritual quality of society grows, because it can be said to be a characteristic feature of the ‘city of God’.
“In a world constantly influenced by the logic of interest and profit, where the concept of ‘growth’ is reduced to the economic-financial dimension, one must think and live according to a truer logic, that is, according to the logic of integral human development. This is the logic of the Gospel,” the Holy Father said during the meeting.
The Pope thanked the volunteers and noted that “perhaps statistics will not record it, but we know that in these days – also thanks to you – this city has grown and become closer to the Kingdom of God.”
Beginning of the second stage of the journey
At noon, the plane with the Pope on board took off from “Adolfo Suárez” Madrid-Barajas International Airport. At 12:45 PM, the Holy Father arrived at “Josep Tarradellas” Barcelona-El Prat International Airport, thus beginning the second stage of his apostolic journey to Spain.
Prayer in the cathedral
The first official event in Barcelona with Leon XIV was the Liturgy of the Hours in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, which took place shortly after the Pope’s arrival in the Catalan city.
In his speech, the Holy Father encouraged bearing witness to unity even at the cost of sacrifice. “In a world torn by wars and divisions, in an increasingly fragmented and individualistic society, we want to be ‘martyrs’, that is, witnesses and prophets of unity, hospitality, harmony, and peace, even at the cost of renunciations and sacrifices,” Leon XIV emphasized.
The Pope referred to John Paul II’s speech in Barcelona in November 1982. Leon XIV pointed to the virtue of Christian brotherhood in the Barcelona community, which the Polish Pope praised. “In his words, we find the faces of so many brothers and sisters who, among you, dedicated themselves and continue to dedicate themselves to building harmony and communion beyond all polarizations,” said Leon XIV.
Several meetings
On Tuesday afternoon, Leon XIV held several meetings in Barcelona: with institutional representatives, bishops, youth, and social activists who are animating the MED-26 Mediterranean meeting currently taking place in Barcelona until June 12. The Pope appealed to them to make the world a better place.
The conversation with the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Salvador Illa Roca, lasted about 15 minutes, and at the end, Leon XIV greeted several of his collaborators.
This afternoon, at the Archbishop’s residence in Barcelona, the Pope also met with a group of religious men and women from the Augustinian family, who came from various parts of Spain, and spoke with them for about half an hour “in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.” Also present were confreres from the international community who carry out their pastoral ministry in the Raval district of the Catalan metropolis.
Ambulances for Ukraine
Today, the Pope blessed ambulances intended for aid efforts in Ukraine.
Prayer at the stadium
At the end of the day, Leon XIV went to the “Lluís Companys” Olympic Stadium, where an evening prayer vigil with about 40,000 people took place.
Before the Pope delivered his homily, he answered poignant questions from young people.
“We are called not to judge ‘the night’: neither the night of our lives, nor the night of the Church, nor the night of the society around us. In the night, we should rather set out on a journey, as Nicodemus does, continue to turn to the Lord with our questions, open ourselves to the breath of the Spirit, and accept the night no longer as a sign of defeat, but as the beginning of a new life,” the Holy Father said in his homily.
The Pope also referred to the situation in contemporary Spain. He encouraged reflection on the “nights” present in the country’s life, its cities, culture, and in new and old forms of poverty. “What nights are we going through? What do they tell us? To what transformation are we called?” Leon XIV asked.
Finally, the Pope called for dialogue with God and among people, even amidst difficulties and uncertainties. He encouraged jointly seeking the truth that leads to the common good and building a society in which every person is respected in their dignity and loved as they are.
Leon XIV’s Wednesday in Barcelona
Wednesday, June 10, marks Leon XIV’s second day in Barcelona and his fifth in Spain. At 10:50 AM, the Pope will visit the “Brians 1” prison. At 12:00 PM, a rosary prayer is scheduled at the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, after which the Pope will have lunch with the Benedictine community. At 4:30 PM, there will be a meeting with diocesan charitable and welfare organizations in the Church of St. Augustine. The main event of the day will be the evening Holy Mass at 7:30 PM in the Sagrada Família Basilica, combined with the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ.
Individual events of Leon XIV’s apostolic journey to Spain can be followed through Vatican media. Broadcasts with Polish commentary are available on vaticannews.va/pl, on YouTube, and on Vatican News Facebook.
