Generalitat spent €3.3m on Pope's visit to Catalonia

The Generalitat spent €3.3 million on Pope León XIV’s visit to Catalonia in June, with the majority of funds allocated to logistical and media operations rather than religious events, according to figures released in early September 2026.

Of the total, €2.8 million was granted to the Archdiocese of Barcelona via a tourism tax subsidy, as confirmed by Justice and Democratic Quality Minister Ramon Espadaler during a parliamentary session on 17 June. This funding covered partial production costs for the overnight vigil at the Olympic Stadium (€1.8 million) and the full budget for the international press centre at Fira Barcelona (€1 million), which hosted nearly 2,000 journalists, double initial projections.

Espadaler clarified that public funds were not used for ecclesiastical activities, meaning no direct financing was provided for the Pope’s visit to Montserrat, the blessing of the Sagrada Família’s tower, or his stop at Sant Agustí convent.

Additional public spending

Outside the archdiocesan subsidy, €351,855 came from the Presidency department for the promotional campaign Catalunya, terra de trobada. Additional costs included €1,234 for a video summary of the visit, €2,750 for the reception of international press by President Salvador Illa, and €11,620 from the Catalan Tourism Agency for custom-branded merchandise.

Security and civil protection costs totalled €49,536. This included €43,868 for the Mossos d'Esquadra’s transport of officers to security points, though overtime pay for agents has not yet been disclosed. An additional €5,667 covered transport and supplies for Civil Protection personnel.

Site-specific expenses and gifts

The visit to Montserrat incurred €20,078 for reinforced staffing, surveillance, and security at FGC stations, plus €6,923 for the same services on the Montserrat rack railway.

At Brians 1 prison, €4,880 was spent on staff overtime, €131 on gifts for the Pope, and €1,333 on flowers, bouquets, and identification ribbons.

Gifts presented by President Illa included a replica of the Homilies of Organyà (€1,300) and a reproduction of the Ivory Child figurine from the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona (€363), bringing the total cost of papal gifts to €1,794.