Pope Leon XIV Meets with Illa and Catalonia's Business Elite in Barcelona. On the first day of Pope Leon XIV’s visit to Barcelona, private meetings were held with Illa, Fainé, and Oliu. The pontiff also blessed 30 ambulances destined for Ukraine. Catalan authorities highlighted the region’s Christian roots.
Pope Leo XIV's visit has begun in Barcelona, with the very first day proving to be packed not only with official events but also a series of closed meetings with key Catalan figures. The focus was on the pontiff’s talks with the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, and his wife, as well as with Fundación La Caixa Chairman Isidre Fainé. On the same day, the Pope held brief conversations with Parliament Speaker Josep Rull and Banc Sabadell President Josep Oliu in the cloister of the cathedral.
A special highlight of the program was the blessing ceremony for 30 ambulances that will be sent to Ukraine, an initiative by Sister Lucía Caram and the Santa Clara Monastery Foundation. The event was attended by volunteers as well as prominent figures from business and public life, including Pilar Rahola, Pilarín Bayés, Pau Relat, Antonio Sanjera, Manuel Lao, and Sonia Recasens.
After lunch at the Episcopal Palace, the Pope used a three-hour break to receive guests. The official schedule included two private audiences: one with Illa and one with a delegation of Augustinians. However, sources note that off-the-record meetings were also held with Fainé and with bishops from the Mediterranean region who have gathered in Barcelona these days.
The meeting with Illa lasted 15 minutes and ended with the pontiff greeting his aides. The Catalan leader, who played an active role in organizing the visit, emphasized the importance of the Pope's arrival for the region. On TV3, 2Cat and Radio Nacional, Illa recalled that he had already met Leon XIV in October and discussed with him "the reality of Catalonia, striving for prosperity and solidarity." According to the government, the meeting addressed the international situation and the Pope's latest encyclical, as well as the development of artificial intelligence for the benefit of society.
As a sign of respect for Catalonia's Christian traditions, Illa presented the Pope with three symbolic gifts: a copy of the deed laying the first stone of the Sagrada Familia, a replica of a doll from the Paleochristian necropolis of Tarragona, and a copy of "Les Homilies d’Organyà" — one of the oldest texts in Catalan.
Josep Rull also reminded the pontiff of the millennium of the Assemblies of Peace and Truce, considered the origins of Catalan parliamentarism. During a brief conversation in the cathedral, he spoke about his imprisonment after the events of the "process" and thanked the Pope for his attention to the theme of humanity and for his visit to Brians I prison.
On the same day, Leon XIV met with Josep Oliu and his wife Maria Victoria Quintana. The meeting with Fainé took place at the Episcopal Palace. Many representatives from the business community and the public took the opportunity to speak to the pontiff in person during the blessing of the ambulances.
The context of the Pope's visit to Spain in recent years has repeatedly become a subject of political debate. For example, the recent arrival of the pontiff in Madrid sparked a response among both believers and politicians, and Tamara Falcó’s reaction during her meeting with León XIV became a notable event for the Catholic community — more details were covered in the article about Tamara Falcó’s reaction to the Pope’s visit to Madrid.
For reference: León XIV is the current Pope, elected after Francis. Fundación La Caixa and Banc Sabadell are among the largest financial institutions in Spain. Sister Lucía Caram is known for her humanitarian initiatives, and the Sagrada Família is the main Catholic church in Barcelona, a symbol of the city and all of Catalonia.
