A significant event in Barcelona
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, has decided to attend the mass that will take place on June 10 at the iconic Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. This event, which will be attended by Pope Francis, marks a turning point in his agenda, as he has been criticized for not participating in important religious ceremonies previously.
The mass, scheduled for 19:30, will be part of a larger ceremony that will include the blessing and inauguration of the tower of Jesus Christ. The Kings of Spain, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia, as well as the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, will also be present at this event. Around 8,000 people are expected to attend, with 4,000 invited inside the temple and another 4,000 following the activities from the outside areas.
Despite his attendance at this important religious event, Sánchez will only participate in two civil events during Pope Francis's apostolic visit to Spain. The first will take place on Monday, June 8, at the Apostolic Nunciature, and the second will be a meeting at the Congress of Deputies. However, he will not be present at other significant ceremonies such as the tribute to the Virgin of Almudena or the events related to the diocesan church.
The President's decision has sparked mixed reactions among citizens and political analysts. Many have pointed out that his absence from previous religious events could have been seen as a lack of respect towards the country's Catholic traditions. The criticism intensified following his notable absence during important funerals related to victims of natural disasters and pandemics.
Despite Sánchez's interest in this specific religious event, it has been confirmed from Moncloa that some ministers will attend the scheduled masses during this papal visit; however, it has not yet been revealed who those government representatives will be or which specific events they will cover.
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