Upon his arrival at the prison, the Pontiff was received by the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa; the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska; and the Minister of Justice of the Generalitat, Ramon Espadaler. The inmates welcomed him by performing the song “Ayúdame a caminar.”
Meeting with inmates from several penitentiary centers
The meeting took place in the prison’s auditorium theater, the same space where Sunday Mass is usually celebrated. The gathering included 22 women from Brians 1 and Wad Ras, as well as 58 men from Brians 1 and Brians 2.
During the visit, several inmates shared their personal experiences with the Holy Father and presented him with gifts made in the prison workshops.
The event also featured the participation of Father Jesús Bel, a Mercedarian priest and coordinator of the Prison Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, who has been carrying out his pastoral work at the center for several years.
Testimonies on the experience of faith in prison
Among those who spoke during the meeting were Montse and Josefina, two inmates who explained to the Pontiff the role that faith has played during their time in prison.
Montse shared that she came to know the religious life more deeply thanks to the support she received at the prison and noted that spiritual assistance was especially important to her after the death of one of her sons. Before the meeting, she also expressed her satisfaction at being able to take part in the papal visit.
For her part, Josefina told the Pope that the Christian faith is an important source of support in her daily life inside the prison.
The Pope’s message
After listening to the testimonies, Leo XIV addressed the inmates, focusing on the dignity of the person and the possibility of beginning a new chapter in life.
“Life’s mistakes do not determine a person’s identity,” the Pontiff stated.
The Pope added that “God loves you as you are, but He dreams of you better” and emphasized the importance of conversion, repentance, reconciliation, and forgiveness within the Christian life.
The visit to Brians was Pope Leo XIV’s first public activity on the second day of his trip to Catalonia.