POPE Leo XIV will say Mass at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia during his upcoming visit to Spain.
The occasion, on 10 June, will mark the inauguration of the new centerpiece tower on the centenary of Gaudi’s death.
He will be joined by members of charitable organisations at the Church of Sant Agusti before the service.
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Earlier in the day he will visit the Brians 1 prison and pray at the famous statue of Lady of Montserrat, also known as ‘La Morenita’ which represents the woman who was proclaimed patroness of Catalonia in 1881 by Pope Leo XII.
These activities will occur on the Pope’s second day in Barcelona with his first including midday prayer at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia and his first address in the city’s Olympic Stadium.
His stay in Barcelona forms part of a wider visit to Spain which has the motto ‘lift your eyes up’, a message taken from chapter four, verse 35 of the Gospel of St John.
Before Barcelona, the Pope will spend three days in Madrid where he will arrive on 6 June.
To begin his trip to Spain, the Pope will meet with the Spanish royal family and authorities, civil service representatives and the Cuerpo Diplomatico.
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Then the Pope will travel to the Lucero neighbourhood, a suburb of the capital, and meet with those attending ‘Cedia 24 Horas’, a centre that cares for homeless people and is managed by Caritas de Madrid.
This project, funded in 1977 helps a growing number of people each year, assisting 2,500 individuals in 2025.
On his penultimate day in the capital, the Pope will say mass and then participate in an event held by Connections with the world of culture, art, business and sport (Conexiones con el mundo de la cultura, el arte, los negocios y el deporte).
Before travelling to Catalunya the Pope will meet with Pedro Sanchez, Spanish bishops, the diocesan community and volunteers who will have made his trip to Spain possible.
After he has spent two days in Barcelona he will move to the Canary Islands to focus on the current migration situation.
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At the port of Arguineguin, where thousands of migrants have arrived in recent years, he will meet with leaders of various organisations and then he will speak to bishops, religious followers and pastors before saying Mass.
To end his trip he will head to Tenerife, continuing his focus on migrants.
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