BARCELONA, Spain — During his weeklong tour of Spain, Pope Leo XIV has found himself at the center of two contentious cultural debates after arriving in Barcelona on Tuesday, though he attempted to quickly calm one controversy by opening his remarks in Catalan rather than Spanish.
The American-born pope had already upset Barcelona soccer supporters by revealing he actually supports Real Madrid rather than the city’s cherished Barça team.
The language issue was probably inevitable. Numerous Catalans had hoped the pontiff would use more Catalan in public appearances rather than Spanish, which Leo speaks with fluency and plans to use primarily throughout his Barcelona visit before traveling to the Canary Islands.
“The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid” were the remarks that determined Leo’s athletic allegiance among countless Barça supporters when he answered a reporter’s question aboard the papal aircraft traveling to Spain.
Madrid enthusiastically shared the video clip of that moment, and social media became flooded with posts declaring Madrid as “the team of God.”
Tomás Roncero, a well-known sports analyst for the prominent Spanish sports publication AS, declared in a video that “the pope can’t be for Barça because it is a sinful club … in his heart he is of a pure and clean club like Madrid.”
Among many non-Madrid supporters, particularly those from Spain’s regions with distinct languages and strong regional identities such as Catalonia, Real Madrid represents centralized authority. Many view it as virtually a state institution, alongside the national government and the Catholic Church.
The pontiff demonstrated his connection to Madrid during activities in the capital. He toured Real Madrid’s museum to examine its extensive trophy collection alongside club president Florentino Pérez, who presented him with a Madrid jersey bearing “Robert F. Prevost” on the reverse.
On Monday, thousands of Catholics filled Real Madrid’s home stadium for a gathering with the pope that featured performers juggling soccer balls while wearing the white and yellow colors of the Holy See.
“Today the Church in Madrid has scored a great goal to always be remembered!” Leo declared.
Barcelona residents took notice.
“A figure as important as he is shouldn’t take sides. Now that he has said that he supports Real Madrid, well, I am sorry, he has messed it up,” stated Eduard Modroño, an office worker and Barcelona supporter.
Modroño made his comments outside the Sagrada Familia basilica, where the pope will conduct Mass on Wednesday in the primary event of his visit to Spain’s second-largest city.
Leo opened his sermon at Barcelona’s cathedral with several phrases in Catalan and alternated between that language and Spanish during his initial public speech in the city.
“Beloved brothers and sisters, it is with great pleasure that I start my visit holding the midday prayer at this cathedral,” he stated in Catalan.
Catalan and Spanish coexist peacefully in Catalonia but frequently become political tools.
Catalan, used by approximately 10 million people, faced prohibition during Spain’s 20th-century dictatorship under Francisco Franco. Catalans continue to guard their language, and its preservation was a significant factor in separatist movements during a recent independence campaign that climaxed in an unsuccessful secession attempt in 2017.
Previous popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI incorporated some Catalan during their Barcelona visits in 1982 and 2010, respectively. Spain’s monarch uses Catalan when visiting Catalonia, though Spanish politicians from non-Catalan regions rarely do so.
The pope’s brief use of Catalan may not satisfy many locals.
“Speaking the language of the land that welcomes you is a wonderful act of love and respect. I hope you enjoy your visit to Catalonia, my nation,” Míriam Noqueras’ political party, Junts, reported she communicated to the pontiff — in English — during their brief conversation at Spain’s parliament on Monday.
The archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, has attempted to minimize the controversy.
“The pope knew beforehand that he is coming to a country (Catalonia) where people speak a very old language that has never been lost through the centuries,” Omella informed reporters. “He knows this and has prepared his speeches and his homily, while keeping in mind that he can only do so much and doesn’t want to end up looking silly in a language he doesn’t speak.”
For Modroño, the soccer supporter, using Catalan carries more significance than any sports-related matters.
“It is a lack of respect not to speak entirely in Catalan,” he said.
