Pope Leo XIV will stop in Montserrat before the major Mass at the Sagrada Família

Barcelona is preparing for a historic papal visit. León XIV will visit Montserrat on 10 June and celebrate a Mass at the Sagrada Família. The trip coincides with Gaudí's centenary and the abbey's millennium. Maximum anticipation in the city.

Barcelona's June calendar gains a top-level event: the visit of Pope León XIV, which will turn the city and Montserrat into the epicentre of international attention. The Pontiff will devote the morning of Wednesday 10 June to visiting Montserrat Abbey, in a gesture that goes beyond symbolism and connects with the recently celebrated millennium of the monastery. The last time a Pope set foot in Montserrat was 44 years ago, which adds even more anticipation to the day.

During his stay in Montserrat, León XIV will not celebrate Mass, but he will take part in highly emotional moments, such as the singing of the “Salve Regina” and the “Virolai” performed by the Escolania de Montserrat. He will also visit the basilica, venerate the image of the Virgin and have lunch with the monks, before returning to Barcelona for the day's main event.

On the afternoon of that same Wednesday, from 19:00, the Sagrada Família will host a solemn Mass presided over by the Pope, in commemoration of the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death and the inauguration of the Torre de Jesús, the tallest of the basilica's towers and of any Christian church. The day will also include a floral tribute at Gaudí's tomb, although it has not been confirmed whether León XIV will be present at that particular moment.

Preparations for the visit are progressing discreetly and with maximum coordination between the Arzobispado de Barcelona, the Sagrada Família construction board and the papal trip's organising team. An official Vatican delegation has inspected both the basilica and Montserrat, and further technical visits in the coming weeks have not been ruled out. Possible places the Pope may visit also include the charitable institution Cottolengo, although the final itinerary has not yet been set.

Last October, representatives of Montserrat Abbey, led by Abbot Manel Gasch, held a brief meeting with León XIV at the Vatican, where they gave him a commemorative medal for the millennium. That same day, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, conveyed to the Pope the importance of the anniversary for Catalunya.

León XIV's visit promises to mobilise thousands of people and place Barcelona and Montserrat in the international spotlight, in a day that will combine spirituality, culture and historical memory.

The Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece, is much more than an architectural icon: it represents Barcelona's evolution and its ability to draw attention from all over the world. The basilica, still under construction after more than a century, has been the setting for major religious and cultural milestones. The inauguration of the Torre de Jesús will mark a new chapter in its history, consolidating its position as the tallest Christian church and one of the most visited places in the city. Every event at the Sagrada Família is, in fact, a reflection of Barcelona's vital pulse.