BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Pope Leo XIV found himself in the midst of Spain's two classic culture wars as he landed in Barcelona on Tuesday during his weeklong visit to the country.
The U.S.-born pontiff had rubbed Barcelona's soccer fans the wrong way by saying he roots for Real Madrid instead of their beloved Barça. Barcelona's residents had already been speculating that he might make minimal use of their native Catalan during his trip to Barcelona instead of Spanish, which he speaks fluently.
kAmw6 D@F89E E@ 5:D23FD6 E96> @7 E96 =2EE6C 2DDF>AE:@? D@@? 27E6C 9:D 2CC:G2= 3J DA62<:?8 7:CDE 😕 r2E2=2?] %96 =2?8F286D 2?5 E62>D 92G6 366? =@?8E:>6 H6586D 36EH66? $A2:?'D EH@ 3:886DE 4:E:6D]k^Am
k9am%96 A@A6 G:D:E65 #62= |25C:5'D >FD6F>k^9am
kAm%96 #62= |25C:5q2C46=@?2 5:G:56 😀 @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE C:G2=C:6D 😕 4=F3 7@@E32==]k^Am
kAm“%96 A@A6 😀 7@C 2== E62>D[ 3FE !C6G@DE 😀 7@C #62= |25C:5Q H6C6 E96 H@C5D E92E D62=65 {6@VD DA@CE:?8 72E6 H:E9 >2?J 2 q2Cç2 72? H96? 96 C6DA@?565 E@ 2 BF6DE:@? @? E96 A2A2= A=2?6 6? C@FE6 E@ $A2:?]k^Am
kAm#62= |25C:5 AC@F5=J A@DE65 E96 G:56@ @7 E96 >@>6?E[ 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2 7:==65 H:E9 4@>>6?ED 23@FE 9@H E96 4=F3 😀 “E96 E62> @7 v@5]â€k^Am
kAm%@>áD #@?46C@[ 2 A@AF=2C DA@CED 4@>>6?E2E@C 7@C E96 H:56=J C625 $A2?:D9 DA@CED 52:=J p$[ D2:5 😕 2 G:56@ E92E “E96 A@A6 42?'E 36 7@C q2Cç2[ 3642FD6 :E 😀 2 D:?7F= 4=F3 ]]] 😕 9:D 962CE 96 😀 @7 2 AFC6 2?5 4=62? 4=F3 =:<6 |25C:5]Qk^Am
kAmu@C >2?J ?@?|25C:5 72?D[ 6DA64:2==J E9@D6 😕 $A2:?'D C68:@?D H:E9 5:776C6?E =2?8F286D 2?5 DEC@?8 =@42= :56?E:E:6D =:<6 r2E2=@?:2[ #62= |25C:5 😀 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 DEC@?8 46?EC2= A@H6C] |2?J 4@?D:56C :E 2=>@DE 2 A:==2C @7 E96 DE2E6[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 46?EC2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 E96 r2E9@=:4 r9FC49]k^Am
kAm%96 A@A6 2=:8?65 9:>D6=7 4=@D6=J H:E9 #62= |25C:5 5FC:?8 6G6?ED 😕 E96 42A:E2=] w6 G:D:E65 E96 4=F3VD >FD6F> E@ A6CFD6 :ED A24<65 EC@A9J 42D6 H:E9 #62= |25C:5 AC6D:56?E u=@C6?E:?@ !éC6K[ H9@ 82G6 9:> 2 |25C:5 D9:CE H:E9 “#@36CE u] !C6G@DE†@? E96 324<]k^Am
kAm~? |@?52J[ E9@FD2?5D @7 r2E9@=:4D A24<65 E96 9@>6 G6?F6 @7 #62= |25C:5 7@C 2 C2==J H:E9 E96 A@A6 762EFC:?8 52?46CD <:4<:?8 D@446C 32==D[ H9:=6 5C6DD65 😕 E96 H9:E6 2?5 J6==@H 4@=@CD @7 E96 w@=J $66]k^Am
kAm“%@52J E96 r9FC49 😕 |25C:5 92D D4@C65 2 8C62E 8@2= E@ 2=H2JD 36 C6>6>36C65P†{6@ D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@=
kAm“p 7:8FC6 2D :>A@CE2?E 2D 96 😀 D9@F=5?'E E2<6 D:56D] }@H E92E 96 92D D2:5 E92E 96 DFAA@CED #62= |25C:5[ H6==[ x 2> D@CCJ[ 96 92D >6DD65 :E FA[Q D2:5 t5F2C5 |@5C@ñ@[ 2? @77:46 H@C<6C 2?5 q2C46=@?2 72?] w6 ?@E65 E92E {6@ 2?5 |25C:5 A=2J6CD[ H9@D6 F?:7@C>D 2C6 AC:DE:?6 H9:E6[ 2=D@ 5C6DD D:>:=2C=J]k^Am
kAm“w6 H62CD 2== H9:E6[ 5@6D?'E 96n t?@F89 D2:5[†D2:5 |@5C@ñ@[ 2D 96 DA@<6 @FED:56 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A@A6=6@D28C25272>:=:232C46=@?2>@?ED6CC2E“g_cc3_hbgbg4bc_ad73hg3c_a7h`ffQm$28C252 u2>:=:2k^2m 32D:=:42[ H96C6 E96 A@A6 @? (65?6D52J H:== 46=63C2E6 2 |2DD 😕 E96 >2;@C 6G6?E @7 9:D DE@A 😕 $A2:?'D D64@?5 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm~? %F6D52J 6G6?:?8[ {6@ H:== AC6D:56 @G6C 2 G:8:= 2E q2C46=@?2VD ~=J>A:4 DE25:F> H:E9 J@F?8 A6@A=6] {6@ H:== 6?5 9:D G:D:E E@ $A2:? H:E9 2 EH@52J DE@A 😕 E96 r2?2CJ xD=2?5D]k^Am
k9am!@A6 368:?D 9:D 9@>:=J 😕 q2C46=@?2 H:E9 r2E2=2?k^9am
kAm{6@ 3682? 9:D 9@>:=J 2E q2C46=@?2'D 42E965C2= H:E9 2 76H H@C5D 😕 r2E2=2? 2?5 DH:E4965 36EH66? :E 2?5 $A2?:D9 😕 9:D 7:CDE AF3=:4 255C6DD 😕 E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm“q6=@G65 3C@E96CD 2?5 D:DE6CD[ :E 😀 H:E9 8C62E A=62DFC6 E92E x DE2CE >J G:D:E 9@=5:?8 E96 >:552J AC2J6C 2E E9:D 42E965C2=[†96 D2:5 😕 r2E2=2?]k^Am
kAmr2E2=2? 2?5 $A2?:D9 2C6 DA@<6? D:563JD:56 😕 r2E2=@?:2[ 3FE 2C6 @7E6? H62A@?:K65 A@=:E:42==J]k^Am
kAmr2E2=2?[ DA@<6? 3J 2C@F?5 `_ >:==:@? A6@A=6[ H2D DFAAC6DD65 3J $A2:?VD a_E946?EFCJ 5:4E2E@CD9:A F?56C v6?] uC2?4:D4@ uC2?4@[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r2E2=2?D[ H9@ C6>2:? AC@E64E:G6 @7 E96:C E@?8F6] xED DFCG:G2= H2D 2? :>A@CE2?E 5C:G6C @7 D6A2C2E:DE D6?E:>6?E 5FC:?8 2 C646?E AFD9 7@C :?56A6?56?46 E92E C624965 :ED A62< 😕 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^32C46=@?2DA2:?8@G6C?>6?E2?5A@=:E:4Dde2bdf4`a76652h3cc_b25_fc`fch`f5Qm72:=65 3C62<2H2J 3:5 😕 a_`fk^2m]k^Am
kAm!@A6D y@9? !2F= xx 2?5 q6?65:4E )’x FD65 D@>6 r2E2=2? H96? E96J G:D:E65 q2C46=@?2 😕 `hga 2?5 a_`_[ C6DA64E:G6=J] $A2:?'D <:?8 DA62 ?@?r2E2=2? DA62<:?8 C68:@?D E@ 5@ D@]k^Am
kAm%96 A@A6 DA62<:?8 2 76H H@C5D 😕 r2E2=2? >2J ?@E 36 6?@F89 7@C >2?J C6D:56?ED] qFE D@>6 H6C6 2AAC64:2E:G6 @7 E96 86DEFC6]k^Am
kAm“$A62<:?8 E96 =2?8F286 @7 E96 =2?5 E92E H6=4@>6D J@F 😀 2 H@?56C7F= 24E @7 =@G6 2?5 C6DA64E] x 9@A6 J@F 6?;@J J@FC G:D:E E@ r2E2=@?:2[ >J ?2E:@?[†|ÃC:2> }@BF6C2D' A@=:E:42= A2CEJ[ yF?ED[ D2:5 D96 E@=5 E96 A@?E:77 — 😕 t?8=:D9 — H96? E96J 3C:67=J DA@<6 2E $A2:?'D A2C=:2>6?E @? |@?52J]k^Am
kAm%96 2C493:D9@A @7 q2C46=@?2[ yF2? y@Dé ~>6==2[ 92D EC:65 E@ 5@H?A=2J E96 :DDF6]k^Am
kAm“%96 A@A6 6H 367@C692?5 E92E 96 😀 4@>:?8 E@ 2 4@F?ECJ Wr2E2=@?:2X H96C6 A6@A=6 DA62< 2 G6CJ @=5 =2?8F286 E92E 92D ?6G6C 366? =@DE E9C@F89 E96 46?EFC:6D[†~>6==2 E@=5 C6A@CE6CD] “w6 @HD E9:D 2?5 92D AC6A2C65 9:D DA66496D 2?5 9:D 9@>:=J[ H9:=6 <66A:?8 😕 >:?5 E92E 96 42? @?=J 5@ D@ >F49 2?5 5@6D?'E H2?E E@ 6?5 FA =@@<:?8 D:==J 😕 2 =2?8F286 96 5@6D?'E DA62<]â€k^Am
kAmu@C |@5C@ñ@[ E96 D@446C 72?[ DA62<:?8 😕 r2E2=2? 😀 >@C6 :>A@CE2?E E92? 2?JE9:?8 C6=2E65 E@ DA@CED]k^Am
kAm“xE 😀 2 =24< @7 C6DA64E ?@E E@ DA62< 6?E:C6=J 😕 r2E2=2?[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
