President Illa heads Catalan civil society's tribute to Pope Francis

The Catalan president, Salvador Illa, led the Catalan civil society's tribute to Pope Francis on Monday morning just a few minutes after the pontifex's death was announced.

The Catalan leader said in a message on social media that "his reflections in favor of peace and human rights, and his fight against inequalities will always be a model for millions of people."

Illa also reminded the moment the two met one month ago in the Vatican.

In some remarks to the Catalan public TV afterwards, Illa also said that Pope Francis was "a moral leader beyond the religious beliefs."

According to him, the pontifex had prioritized the most vulnerable ones, and hoped that his successor follows his path.

Some of Illa's ministers also reacted to the news, such as justice minister Ramon Espadaler, in charge of religious affairs, who said that Jorge María Bergoglio focused on the people seen as "dismissed" in the past.

Catalan parliament speaker, Josep Rull, said that Francis "has been an immensely powerful beacon of light amid increasingly intense and threatening darkness." "May his legacy remain a perennial source of inspiration to build a better world."

Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni said that the Pope "had been a spiritual model for millions of people all around the world, even beyond catholics." In a message on Instagram, he said he had a "renewing and modernizing role, firmly committed to the poor, the persecuted, migrants, the marginalized, and also to the environment."

Former president Carles Puigdemont, who is the current leader of Catalonia's main opposition party Junts, said that "Christianity has lost a man of kindness and peace, intelligent and courageous." "He understood the challenges the Church faces in this emerging world," said on X.

Other political leaders also paid tribute to the late pontifex, such as left-wing Esquerra's Oriol Junqueras, who said Bergoglio "fought against the abuses, made the Evangelium come true and built a Church serving justice and peace."

The leader of also left-wing Comuns party in Parliament, Jéssica Albiach, said the Pope "embraced minorities, opened up the institution and talked about social justice, solidarity and peace explicitly."

Barcelona cathedral opens chapel with condolence book

Catalonia's top church figures also reacted to the news, such as Barcelona's archbishop, Joan Josep Omella, who expressed "surprise" at the Pope's death given that on Sunday he took part in the 'Urbi et Orbi' Easter event in the Vatican.

Girona's bishop, Octavi Vilà, said that Francis' "legacy will endure within the Church" and called on the faithful to pray for his soul, while Tarragona's archbishop Joan Planellas labelled him as "the pope of the poor ones."

Joan Enric Vives, archbishop of Urgell and co-prince of Andorra, believes the figure "gave a great example of kindness, of service to the poorest, and of the joy of the Gospel."

Barcelona cathedral will open its Saint Lucy Chapel on Monday afternoon where a photo and a condolence book will be placed.

At 7.15pm, Omella will lead a prayer for Frances during Easter Mass in the cathedral.

Antoni Gaudí named 'venerable' just before pontifex's dead

Only one week before his death, Pope Francis took the first steps to beatify Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí in the Catholic Church, the mastermind behind the unfinished basilica of the Sagrada Família and the La Pedrera building, to mention but two.

Popularly known as 'God's architect,' Gaudí passed away in 1926 in Barcelona. The Catholic Church now considers him "venerable," which is the first step towards beatification and canonization.