Pope Leo XIV to Visit Montserrat and Celebrate Mass at Sagrada Familia

Executive Briefing

• Visits medieval Montserrat monastery, sacred to Catalans, before evening Mass at Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia on Wednesday
• Commemorates centennial of architect Antoni Gaudí's death at a basilica that recently became world's tallest church
• Reaches a global audience: 90% of Sagrada Familia's nearly 5 million annual visitors are foreigners, more Americans than Spaniards
• Balances outreach in a secularizing nation where only 1 in 5 Spaniards identify as practicing Catholics
• Officials expect papal visit to mirror Benedict XVI's 2010 consecration, which boosted annual visits from 3 million to 5 million