Pope Leo wades into Spain’s culture wars over football and the Catalan language

Pope Leo XIV waded into two of Spain’s classic culture wars as he landed in Barcelona on Tuesday during his weeklong visit to the country, but sought to defuse one quickly by speaking first in the Catalan language instead of Spanish upon his arrival.

The US-born pontiff earlier rubbed football fans in Barcelona up the wrong way by saying he roots for Real Madrid instead of their beloved Barca.

Many Catalans wanted the pope to speak more Catalan publicly instead of Spanish, which Leo speaks fluently and is expected to use predominantly during his visit to Barcelona before heading to the Canary Islands.

“The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid” were the words that sealed Leo’s sporting fate with many a Barca fan when he responded to a question on the papal plane en route to Spain.

Madrid proudly posted the video of the moment, and social media filled with comments about how Madrid is “the team of God”.

For many non-Madrid fans, especially those in Spain’s regions with different languages and strong local identities such as 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.

The pope aligned himself closely with Madrid during events in the capital. He visited Real Madrid’s museum to see its packed trophy case with club president Florentino Perez, who gave him a Madrid shirt with “Robert F Prevost” on the back.

On Monday, thousands of Catholics packed the home venue of Real Madrid for a rally with the pope featuring dancers kicking footballs while dressed in the white and yellow colours of the Holy See.

“Today the Church in Madrid has scored a great goal to always be remembered!” Leo said.

On Wednesday the pope will hold a Mass at the Sagrada Familia basilica.

Leo began his homily at Barcelona’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia with a few words in Catalan and switched between it and Spanish in his first public address 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 said in Catalan.

Catalan and Spanish are spoken side-by-side without problem in Catalonia but are often weaponised politically.

Catalan, spoken by some 10 million people, was suppressed by Spain’s 20th-century dictatorship under Francisco Franco. Catalans remain protective of their language, and 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.

Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI used some Catalan when they visited Barcelona in 1982 and 2010 respectively. Spain’s king speaks Catalan when he is in Catalonia, but it is rare for Spanish politicians from non-Catalan speaking regions to do so.

The archbishop of Barcelona, Juan Jose Omella, has tried to downplay the issue.

“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,” Archbishop Omella told 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.”