BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Pope Leo XIV When he arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday of his tenure, he found himself in the middle of Spain’s two major conflicts over football and language. 1 week visit To the country.
Spaniards don’t often discuss issues like abortion or guns, but they do passionately discuss language and their favorite sports, which have significance beyond their fans.
The American-born pope has upset Barcelona soccer fans by saying he supports Real Madrid rather than his beloved Barça. Barcelona residents were already speculating that he would make minimal use of his native Catalan during the match. his trip to barcelona Instead of he speaks Spanish fluently.
Immediately after his arrival, the Pope tried to avoid exploiting the latter assumption by speaking first in Catalan. Language and team have long been a wedge between Spain’s two metropolises.
Pope visits Real Madrid museum
“The Pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid,” the words that sealed Leo’s sporting fate among many Barça fans when he answered a question on the Pope’s plane to Spain.
Real Madrid proudly posted a video of the moment, and social media was flooded with comments about how the club is “God’s team”.
Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after presiding over midday prayers at the Basilica of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Bernat Armang)
“The Pope cannot be on Barça’s side, because Barça is a sinful club…In his heart, he is a man of a pure and clean club like Madrid,” Tomás Roncero, a popular sports commentator for the widely read Spanish sports daily AS, said in a video.
The separation between Real Madrid and Barcelona is one of the biggest conflicts in club football.
For many fans outside Madrid, especially those in regions of Spain with a different language and strong local identity, such as Catalonia, Real Madrid is associated with a strong central authority. Many consider it almost a pillar of the state, along with the central government and the Catholic Church. Barça, on the other hand, is closely aligned with Catalan nationalism and was famously referred to as “the unarmed army of Catalonia”.
The Pope is preached unity He traveled to the Spanish capital and worked closely with Real Madrid during events in the city.
Thousands of Catholics packed Real Madrid’s stadium on Monday for a rally with the Pope, complete with dancers wearing the papal white and yellow costumes and kicking soccer balls.
Pope Leo XIV greets those leaving after presiding over midday prayers at the Basilica of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armang)
“Today the Church of Madrid scored a great goal that will be remembered forever!” Leo said at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. There, he also met Puerto Rican music sensation Bad Bunny privately on the sidelines.
The Pope visited the club’s museum, where he and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez perused the trophy case and presented him with a Madrid shirt with “Robert F. Prevost” written on the back.
The people of Barcelona have noticed.
“A person as important as him should not take sides. It’s a shame because he said he supports Real Madrid. He messed it up,” said Eduardo Modronho, an office worker and Barcelona fan. He pointed out that the players of Leo and Madrid, whose uniforms are all white, are also dressed similarly.
“He’s wearing all white, right? Enough is enough,” Modroño said, speaking outside. sagrada familia The pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass on Wednesday as the main event of his stay in Spain’s second-largest city.
Pope begins preaching in Catalan in Barcelona
Leo began preaching a few words in Catalan in Barcelona’s cathedral, switching between Catalan and Spanish for his first speech in the city.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I am very happy to begin my visit with midday prayers in this cathedral,” he said in Catalan.
Pope Leo (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Catalan and Spanish are spoken side by side in Catalonia, but are often weaponized politically.
Catalan, spoken by about 10 million people, was suppressed by the 20th century Spanish dictatorship led by General Francisco Franco, according to Catalans who have preserved their language. Its survival was an important driver of separatist sentiment during the recent peak of the independence movement. 2017 exit bid failed.
The Pope hastened to a visit with Catalonia’s regional president Salvador Illa on Tuesday ahead of a prayer vigil at Catalonia’s Olympic stadium. Among other gifts related to the history of the Catalan church, Illa gave him a copy of the 12th-century Sermon de Organa, a collection of sermons that is one of the earliest examples of Catalan literary texts.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI used Catalan during their visits to Barcelona in 1982 and 2010, respectively. The King of Spain speaks Catalan when he is in Catalonia, but it is rare for Spanish politicians from non-Catalan speaking countries to speak Catalan.
A few words in Catalan from the pope may not be enough for many residents. But others appreciated the gesture.
“Speaking the language of a land that welcomes you is a great act of love and respect. I hope you enjoy your visit to my homeland of Catalonia,” Miriam Noqueras’ party, Juntu, said in a brief speech in Spain’s parliament on Monday, telling the pope in English.
Barcelona Archbishop Juan José Omera has tried to downplay the issue.
“The Pope knew in advance that he was coming to a country (Catalonia) where the people speak a very old language that has not been lost for centuries,” O’Meara told reporters. “He knows that and has prepared his speeches and sermons, keeping in mind that there are limits to what he can do and that he doesn’t want to look stupid in a language he doesn’t speak.”
For Modronho, a soccer fan, speaking Catalan is more important than anything related to sports.
“It’s a lack of respect not to speak everything in Catalan,” he said.
Pope Leo (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this report.
