{"id":2899,"date":"2026-06-09T14:36:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T14:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=2899"},"modified":"2026-06-09T14:36:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T14:36:15","slug":"pope-leo-xiv-wades-into-spains-culture-wars-over-soccer-and-the-catalan-language-in-barcelona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=2899","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV wades into Spain\u2019s culture wars over soccer and the Catalan language in Barcelona"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) \u2014 Pope Leo XIV found himself in the midst of Spain\u2019s two classic culture wars as he landed in Barcelona on Tuesday during his weeklong visit to the country.<\/p>\n

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The U.S.-born pontiff had rubbed Barcelona\u2019s soccer fans the wrong way by saying he roots for Real Madrid instead of their beloved Bar\u00e7a. Barcelona\u2019s residents had already been speculating that he might make minimal use of their native Catalan during his trip to Barcelona instead of Spanish, which he speaks fluently.<\/p>\n

He sought to disabuse them of the latter assumption soon after his arrival by speaking first in Catalan. The languages and teams have been longtime wedges between Spain\u2019s two biggest cities.<\/p>\n

The pope visited Real Madrid\u2019s museum<\/h3>\n

The Real Madrid-Barcelona divide is one of the biggest rivalries in club football.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid\u201d were the words that sealed Leo\u2019s sporting fate with many a Bar\u00e7a fan when he responded to a question on the papal plane en route to Spain.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid proudly posted the video of the moment, and social media filled with comments about how the club is \u201cthe team of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom\u00e1s Roncero, a popular sports commentator for the widely read Spanish sports daily AS, said in a video that \u201cthe pope can\u2019t be for Bar\u00e7a, because it is a sinful club \u2026 in his heart he is of a pure and clean club like Madrid.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many non-Madrid fans, especially those in Spain\u2019s regions with different languages and strong local identities like Catalonia, Real Madrid is associated with strong central power. Many consider it almost a pillar of the state, along with the central government and the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

The pope aligned himself closely with Real Madrid during events in the capital. He visited the club\u2019s museum to peruse its packed trophy case with Real Madrid president Florentino P\u00e9rez, who gave him a Madrid shirt with \u201cRobert F. Prevost\u201d on the back.<\/p>\n

On Monday, thousands of Catholics packed the home venue of Real Madrid for a rally with the pope featuring dancers kicking soccer balls, while dressed in the white and yellow colors of the Holy See.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday the Church in Madrid has scored a great goal to always be remembered!\u201d Leo said.<\/p>\n

Folks in Barcelona noticed.<\/p>\n

\u201cA figure as important as he is shouldn\u2019t take sides. Now that he has said that he supports Real Madrid, well, I am sorry, he has messed it up,\u201d said Eduard Modro\u00f1o, an office worker and Barcelona fan. He noted that Leo and Madrid players, whose uniforms are pristine white, also dress similarly. <\/p>\n

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\u201cHe wears all white, doesn\u2019t he? Enough said,\u201d said Modro\u00f1o, as he spoke outside the Sagrada Familia basilica, where the pope on Wednesday will celebrate a Mass in the major event of his stop in Spain\u2019s second city.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday evening, Leo will preside over a vigil at Barcelona\u2019s Olympic stadium with young people. Leo will end his visit to Spain with a two-day stop in the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n

Pope begins his homily in Barcelona with Catalan<\/h3>\n

Leo began his homily at Barcelona\u2019s cathedral with a few words in Catalan and switched between it and Spanish in his first public address in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeloved brothers and sisters, it is with great pleasure that I start my visit holding the midday prayer at this cathedral,\u201d he said in Catalan.<\/p>\n

Catalan and Spanish are spoken side-by-side in Catalonia, but are often weaponized politically.<\/p>\n

Catalan, spoken by around 10 million people, was suppressed by Spain\u2019s 20th-century dictatorship under Gen. Francisco Franco, according to Catalans, who remain protective of their tongue. Its survival was an important driver of separatist sentiment during a recent push for independence that reached its peak in a failed breakaway bid in 2017.<\/p>\n

Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI used some Catalan when they visited Barcelona in 1982 and 2010, respectively. Spain\u2019s king speaks Catalan when he\u2019s in Catalonia, but it\u2019s rare for Spanish politicians from non-Catalan speaking regions to do so.<\/p>\n

The pope speaking a few words in Catalan may not be enough for many residents. But some were appreciative of the gesture.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking 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,\u201d M\u00edriam Noqueras\u2019 political party, Junts, said she told the pontiff \u2014 in English \u2014 when they briefly spoke at Spain\u2019s parliament on Monday.<\/p>\n

The archbishop of Barcelona, Juan Jos\u00e9 Omella, has tried to downplay the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d Omella told reporters. \u201cHe knows this and has prepared his speeches and his homily, while keeping in mind that he can only do so much and doesn\u2019t want to end up looking silly in a language he doesn\u2019t speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Modro\u00f1o, the soccer fan, speaking in Catalan is more important than anything related to sports.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is a lack of respect not to speak entirely in Catalan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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