Barcelona is at the centre of a wider debate on housing and migration, and Archbishop Joan Planellas of Tarragona has added his voice to it. The president of the Tarraconense Episcopal Conference said the Church should help increase social housing and stand up for migrants.
Planellas said this in an interview seven years after taking up his archiepiscopal post. He recently signed an agreement with Generalitat President Salvador Illa, under which the Church will provide properties and land to the Generalitat for social housing development.
He also said xenophobic attitudes, seen in both Spanish and Catalan politics, are not Christian. In his view, the fact that this needs saying shows there is a wider social problem. For the original report, see Ara.
On migration, Planellas backed a welcoming approach and echoed the position of Vatican News on the issue. He said that when people are forced to emigrate, society should try to receive them. He also agreed with the Bishop of the Canary Islands, who suggested critics should get into a dinghy before speaking about migration.
Planellas also spoke about the role of the Church in Catalonia more broadly. He said he has strong reservations about creating a separate Catalan Episcopal Conference, arguing that it would weaken the Church. He described the current Tarraconense arrangement, which brings Catalan bishops together four times a year, as a source of real value.
He added that the Church continues to support the Catalan language, with Caritas offering classes and the Generalitat’s Department of Linguistic Policy due to provide Catalan classes for migrants in parishes. He also said foreign priests must adapt to local reality and learn both Catalan and Castilian. For more local coverage, readers can also follow our Community and Sport pages.
Planellas said he does not expect major changes in the Catalan Church soon, including around the Archbishopric of Barcelona. He described Cardinal Omella, the current Archbishop of Barcelona, as in excellent health and like an older brother. He also said adult baptisms have risen sharply, with Tarragona seeing a fivefold increase over the last five years and Catalonia recording 500 adult baptisms at Easter.
