Pope Leo XIV continues his stay in Catalonia on Wednesday with a schedule of more symbolic events, such as the trip to Montserrat and the blessing of the Tower of Jesus at the Sagrada Familia, as well as social visits to Brians prison and a church in El Raval.
Robert Prevost will start the second day of his trip with a quick visit to the Brians 1 penitentiary center in Sant Esteve Sesrovires (Barcelona), where he will be welcomed by 80 inmates, before continuing to the Montserrat Abbey. On Catalonia's most sacred mountain, the pontiff will lead the Rosary prayer with the singing of the Salve and the Virolai performed by the Escolanía.
Returning to Barcelona, the Pope will meet in the afternoon at the Church of San Agustín in the El Raval neighborhood with social assistance entities and vulnerable individuals. The day will conclude with a solemn mass at the Sagrada Familia, the tallest Catholic church in the world, and the Pope's blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ, coinciding with the centenary of the death of architect Antoni Gaudí.
The Pope Brings a Message of Hope to Brians 1 Prison: "The Past Does Not Condemn the Future"
Leo XIV, the Pope who has set foot in a Spanish prison for the first time. The visit took place at the Brians 1 penitentiary center, located in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, about 40 kilometers from Barcelona, as reported by Cristina Rubio.
In an event at the prison's auditorium and in front of 80 inmates, the pontiff delivered a speech emphasizing that "life's mistakes do not determine a person's identity." "Although anguish and sadness may mark some moments of your journey, remember that life's mistakes do not define a person's identity. Saint Augustine, in his Confessions, shares his life journey with us and speaks of it; if we trust in divine grace and allow ourselves to be guided and transformed by it, we discover that in our lives the past does not condemn the future but offers us the possibility to change our decisions and choices."
"The Lord allows us all to always start anew, as being human and being Christian does not consist of not making mistakes but in growing in the ability to convert, repent, amend, and, above all, to reconcile and forgive," he conveyed after listening to the testimonies of Josefina and Montse.
Both upon entering and leaving the theater, Itziar Castro, as the space is named in honor of the deceased actress who portrayed a prisoner in the series Vis a Vis, personally greeted several inmates. Among the 80 attendees were 13 women and 26 men from Brians 1, 32 men from Brians 2, and nine women from Wad-Ras prison.
Testimony of Two Female Inmates Before the Pope
Josefina and Montse were the two chosen inmates to speak directly to the Pope at the Auditorium of the Brians 1 penitentiary center, as reported by Cristina Rubio. The 80 prisoners who attended the meeting with Leo XIV were selected solely based on their faith, as they are the ones who attend Mass every weekend and participate in the Catholic pastoral activities at Brians.
Female inmates participating in the floristry workshop were in charge of the decoration. Meanwhile, students from the artistic workshops crafted the gift to be presented to the Pope: a 30-centimeter diameter ceramic plate with a design inspired by the dove as a symbol of freedom and hope. A selected fragment for the occasion was added to the box that houses it: "I was in prison, and you came to me" (Matthew 25:36).