“Spain is a colony of the Vatican, because the Vatican’s great chief arrives and all the authorities bend over backwards to bow their heads to the ground and pay him reverence,” the president of Ateus de Catalunya (Atheists of Catalonia) said ironically during a secular rally attended by around fifty people.
The demonstration, held under the slogan “Jo no t'espero (I’m Not Waiting for You in Catalan)”, sought to defend the neutrality of public institutions toward religious denominations, coinciding with the mass vigil led by Pope Leo XIV at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc.
Participants highlighted cases of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, a “plague,” as the Pontiff himself once described it. According to atheist associations, Church authorities continue to "protect" perpetrators rather than victims.
Miguel Hurtado, the first person to publicly denounce abuse at Montserrat Abbey and spokesperson for the group Reparación Integral Ya (RIYA), argued that the Holy Father’s visit to the abbey amounts to “revictimization” and an “act of institutional violence.”
Núria Panadero, director of the Ferrer i Guàrdia Foundation, stressed that the gathering was not intended to confront religious beliefs. “This is not an event against any faith. Above all, we want to inform, educate, organize and give voice to the diversity that exists in society,” she said.
According to Panadero, the central demand is that “public institutions remain neutral when receiving a religious leader.”
Lluís García, coordinator of Europa Laica Catalunya, criticized what he sees as the Catholic Church’s lack of progress on issues he considers fundamental. García also questioned the Pope’s presence in institutional venues and called on the Spanish state to review its agreements with the Holy See.
Riba was particularly critical of the Pontiff addressing Spain’s Congress of Deputies. “It’s hard to believe that the least democratic country in the world is being given a platform in Parliament,” he said, asking why “Iran’s Ayatollah” would not also be invited if other religious leaders are allowed to speak in what he described as “the supposed temple of democracy.”
The president of Ateus de Catalunya also rejected the idea of the Pope as a moral authority. He argued that the Church “has hidden, and still hides today, clergy guilty of child sexual abuse,” and said this reality is incompatible with the moral lessons the institution seeks to impart to society.
“He has every right to meet with his friends, pray with his friends and pray to whomever he wants,” he said. “What we oppose is the institutional backing and the fact that taxpayers are expected to foot the bill for this gentleman’s celebration. If there’s a celebration, he should pay for it himself — they have plenty of money.”
The Catalan Government has set the direct contribution for the Pope’s visit at €1.6 million. According to the administration, the funds come from revenue generated by the tourist tax, and it insists that the operation “will not cost taxpayers a single euro.” However, atheist and secular associations reject this explanation and accuse the Executive of using public resources to finance the papal visit. “They have created a tax to pay for the Pope’s visit,” they stated during the demonstration.
The schedule remains unchanged. On Wednesday, the Pontiff will visit Montjuïc Abbey and Brians I Prison, and will bless the Tower of Jesus of the Sagrada Família. In the Canary Islands, the final stage of the visit is about to begin, and his trip to the islands is expected to provide an opportunity to address immigration issues and the importance of welcoming “everyone”.
