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Pope Leo XIV Appoints Cistercian Monk as Barcelona's Archbishop
· Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Octavi Vilà Mayo, a Cistercian monk, as the new archbishop of Barcelona, succeeding Cardinal Juan José Omella.
In a letter to his new diocese, Vilà said he had been called by Pope Leo XIV “to share with you a part of the journey toward the Kingdom of God” and expressed his intentions: “I come to Barcelona ready to work courageously for the future of our Church and to do so together with each and every one of you.”
Vilà, who holds a degree in geography and history and a diploma in library and information science from the University of Barcelona, was appointed bishop of Girona by Pope Francis in February 2024 and was ordained bishop in Girona Cathedral on April 21, 2024.
Pope Leo XIV selected Vilà Mayo, then bishop of Girona, to succeed Cardinal Juan José Omella as archbishop of Barcelona. Omella turned 80 in April, prompting his retirement.
Vilà was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in the same year and joined the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops in October 2018.
As abbot, Vilà chaired the Cistercian Congregation of the Crown of Aragon and the board of the Poblet archive.
Vilà’s episcopal motto, “Lead in Order to Serve,” comes from an expression of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a fitting homage to the great twelfth-century Cistercian reformer.
During a public appearance, Vilà revealed that he will not remain in Barcelona but will retire to a priests’ residence in Zaragoza: “I am not staying in Barcelona because I do not want to cast a shadow.”
With Barcelona now filled, attention turns again to Girona, which was without a bishop for more than two years before Vilà’s arrival and is now once again awaiting a new shepherd.
Pope Leo XIV has made it clear since the start of his pontificate that he seeks to be a pope of unity, emphasizing that welcoming the new prelate “also means being ready to walk with him” and urging the faithful to offer their fullest cooperation.
What this adds
Pope Leo XIV’s appointment of Vilà Mayo as archbishop of Barcelona marks a significant shift in leadership for the diocese, following Cardinal Juan José Omella’s retirement.
Background
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Octavi Vilà Mayo, a Cistercian monk, as the new archbishop of Barcelona, succeeding Cardinal Juan José Omella.
What's confirmed
- Vilà, who holds a degree in geography and history and a diploma in library and information science from the University of Barcelona, was appointed bishop of Girona by Pope Francis in February 2024 and was ordained bishop in Girona Cathedral on April 21, 2024.
- Pope Leo XIV selected Vilà Mayo, then bishop of Girona, to succeed Cardinal Juan José Omella as archbishop of Barcelona. Omella turned 80 in April, prompting his retirement.
- Vilà was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in the same year and joined the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops in October 2018.
- As abbot, Vilà chaired the Cistercian Congregation of the Crown of Aragon and the board of the Poblet archive.
- Vilà’s episcopal motto, “Lead in Order to Serve,” comes from an expression of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a fitting homage to the great twelfth-century Cistercian reformer.
- With Barcelona now filled, attention turns again to Girona, which was without a bishop for more than two years before Vilà’s arrival and is now once again awaiting a new shepherd.
- Pope Leo XIV has made it clear since the start of his pontificate that he seeks to be a pope of unity, emphasizing that welcoming the new prelate “also means being ready to walk with him” and urging the faithful to offer their fullest cooperation.
What's still developing
- Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, a Cistercian of the Strict Observance (Trappist) Photo: Carlos Mira Pope Leo XIV Entrusts His First Lenten Retreat to Erik Varden (ZENIT News / Rome, 02.05.2026).- When Pope Leo XIV gathers his closest collaborators for prayer this Lent, he will be guided not by a Roman curial heavyweight but by a soft-spoken Norwegian monk whose spiritual journey began in agnosticism and led him to the silence of a Trappist abbey.
- Two conferences are dedicated to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—“Saint Bernard the Idealist” and “Saint Bernard the Realist”—a fitting homage to the great twelfth-century Cistercian reformer whose spiritual legacy still shapes Trappist life.
- León XIV ha elegido a fray Octavi Vilà Mayo, monje cisterciense, antiguo abad de Poblet y obispo de Gerona desde abril de 2024, como nuevo arzobispo de Barcelona.
- Nacido en Tarragona en 1961, Vilà es licenciado en Geografía e Historia y diplomado en Biblioteconomía por la Universidad de Barcelona, con posgrados en nuevas tecnologías de la información y en gestión cultural.
- Los obispados de Barcelona y Gerona convocaron a mediodía sendas comparecencias para comunicar el relevo, en una jornada deslucida por la huelga general en Cataluña.
- BARCELONA, Spain (RNS) — With the FIFA World Cup starting Thursday (June 11), Pope Leo XIV said soccer is an opportunity to come together, during a meeting with charity workers at the Church of Sant Agustí in Barcelona on Wednesday.
- Asked whether he supported Real Madrid or FC Barcelona, he said: “The pope is for all teams, but Prevost is for Real Madrid.” On Monday, a crowd to see Leo packed the Bernabéu stadium, the home of the Real Madrid soccer team, as 80,000 Catholics from all over Spain came to cheer the pontiff.
- Pope Leo XIV continued his seven-day trip to Spain with visits to Catholic sites, meetings with numerous communities including abuse victims, and a historic address to the Spanish Parliament.
- Pope Leo XIV and other clergy kneel at the altar during Mass at the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, June 7, 2026.
- See below for photos of Pope Leo XIVʼs activities in Spain.
- Among the throngs of pilgrims in Lourdes this weekend will be a 27-year-old woman who be there with a group of Cistercian nuns, hoping the visit will confirm her call to contemplative life.
- Among them will be a 27-year-old woman who will attend alongside a group of Cistercian nuns, hoping the visit will confirm the call to contemplative life she has felt since returning to the faith during the COVID-19 crisis.