Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Montserrat Abbey
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On Wednesday 10 June 2026, the Benedictine Abbey of Montserrat welcomed Pope Leo XIV, 44 years after the visit of Pope Saint John Paul II. Nearly 8,000 people were present and took part in the recitation of the Rosary, focusing on the Glorious Mysteries, traditionally meditated upon on Wednesdays.
Pope Leo XIV was welcomed by 1,200 children from various Christian schools in Catalonia, to the sound of the monastery’s ceaseless bells. After speaking with the children, the Pope was welcomed by the Abbot of Montserrat, Dom Manel Gasch i Hurios, at the door of the Basilica of Santa Maria, where the Pope kissed the True Cross, before proceeding with the washing of hands and the sprinkling of holy water. The Abbot presented him with the key to the basilica as a sign of welcome.
Inside the basilica, Dom Man Gasch i Hurios thanked the Pope for his visit, which “strengthens our faith and reaffirms the purpose of this thousand-year-old sanctuary and monastery”, noting that “the Benedictine monks of this house would like Montserrat to be the monastery of which your predecessor, Saint Paul VI, spoke: the place where man is reunited with himself and helps to build a world at peace”. Finally, he shared this reflection: “All Catalan Christians are here, in person or virtually, and welcome you once again to Catalonia through this Montserrat which unites and spiritually identifies the Churches on pilgrimage to this land.”
The Holy Father then presided over the recitation of the Rosary, accompanied by the Abbot of Montserrat and the Bishop of San Feliu, Bishop Xabier Gómez.
Once the prayer was over, the Holy Father addressed those present, stating that “the Moreneta has always been with me”, recalling the origins of the parish dedicated to Our Lady of Montserrat which he founded in Trujillo (Peru). He accompanied this message by saying he felt “happy to be at the feet of the Moreneta to entrust to her, with full confidence in her maternal intercession, my Petrine ministry and the mission of the Church in a world that cries out for justice and peace”. In his address, he also recalled the reasons that led Pope Francis to bestow the Golden Rose upon the Moreneta, and cited an example of profound conversion: that of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
At the end, the Montserrat choir took over the prayer by singing the Salve and the Virolai. On this occasion, accompanied by the Capella de Música de Montserrat and a small group of musicians, they performed the eight-part Salve Regina with echoes, by Fr. Joan Cererols (1618–1680).
The ‘Virolai’, composed by Monsignor Jacint Verdaguer in honour of Our Lady of Montserrat to a melody by Josep Rodoreda, marked the prelude to one of the most eagerly awaited moments: the meeting between Pope Leo XIV and the image of Our Lady of Montserrat to venerate her, whilst the altar boys sang the final verses of the “Virolai”.
Before concluding the public part of his visit, the Holy Father went out onto the balcony to address a few words to all those present, “to remind everyone that faith gives life”, accompanied by a blessing.
The private part of the ceremony included a lunch with the entire Benedictine community of Montserrat as well as the choir, before setting off back to Barcelona to continue his apostolic journey.
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