The first official words pronounced by Pope Benedict XVI during his
visit to Barcelona on Nov. 7 will be in Catalan, at the Dedication Mass
of the Church of the Holy Family.
The opening rites of the liturgy will be Catalan, as well as the
readings for the Mass and the rite of consecration of the Church.
The Pope will also speak in Gallego—the local dialect in the Spanish
region of Galicia--when he celebrates Mass Nov. 6 in Santiago de
Compostela.
According to Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, the Mass at
the Church of the Holy Family will be celebrated in Spanish, Catalan and
Latin. The Gospel and the Communion rite will be in Spanish.
Father Lombardi said the Holy Father would deliver part of his homily
in Catalan, but that most of the speeches during the visit would be
delivered in Spanish.
He also said the Pope’s homily in Barcelona would include a reference
to Antonio Gaudi, who designed the Church, and would focus on the
relationship between art and faith, the Christian life and the family as
the basic unit of society.
However, the spokesman explained, the motive behind the Pope’s visit
“is not to support Gaudi’s cause for beatification,” but rather “to
consecrate a magnificent work that has great meaning for the Church in
Catalonia.”
SIC: CNA/INT'L