Rome, Italy, Nov 1, 2010 / 20:01 pm
The first official words pronounced by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Barcelona on Nov. 7 will be in Catalan, at the Dedication Mass of the Church of the Holy Family.
The opening rites of the liturgy will be Catalan, as well as the readings for the Mass and the rite of consecration of the Church.
The Pope will also speak in Gallego—the local dialect in the Spanish region of Galicia--when he celebrates Mass Nov. 6 in Santiago de Compostela.
According to Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, the Mass at the Church of the Holy Family will be celebrated in Spanish, Catalan and Latin. The Gospel and the Communion rite will be in Spanish.