City of Barcelona gravely insults Our Lady of Mercy, their heavenly patron

The Church recalls the religious origin of the celebration and "trusts that the pontifical Mass will be included in the official program"

The Archdiocese of Barcelona regrets the "attempt to ridicule the Virgin Mary" in the poster for the patron saint's festivities

The Archdiocese of Barcelona shows its rejection of the poster and official video of the city's major festival, dedicated this year to the Virgin Mary of Mercy, Patron Saint of Barcelona, the Diocese and the ecclesiastical province. In a statement issued this Tuesday, July 29, the Archdiocese assures that the materials "irreverently use different religious forms" with the intention of "ridiculing the image of the Virgin Mary".

Despite understanding that the City Council wants to “give an exclusively secular tone to the festival”, the Archdiocese expresses its surprise at the annual reiteration of religious visual resources in the institutional image of Our Lady of Mercy. In this edition, explicit reference is made to an altarpiece and a crown, which are interpreted as a direct allusion to the patron saint.

From the Church’s point of view, this resource violates the feelings of those people who venerate the Virgin Mary and respect her historical and spiritual significance. “In a democracy, the feelings of others must be respected”, warns the archdiocese, which is confident that this year, unlike previous years, “the Pontifical mass will be included in the official program of the festival”.

Religious origins of the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy

In the same statement, the Archdiocese of Barcelona wishes to recall the religious origin of the festival, directly linked to devotion to the Virgin Mary of Mercy. The festival dates back to 1218, when, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared simultaneously to Saint Peter Nolasco, Saint Ramon de Penyafort and King James I to promote the foundation of the Order of Mercy.

This religious institution was created in the City of Barcelona with the support of Bishop Berenguer de Palou, in a ceremony held in the cathedral. The aim of the order was to free captives and care for the poorest, in a gesture that continues to be read today as a sign of the fruitfulness of Marian piety.

The Archdiocese also expresses the desire that this year the traditional Pontifical Mass in honour of the Virgin Mary be included in the official programme of the festival, as a symbolic recognition of the spiritual dimension of this celebration so deeply rooted in the history of the city.

The poster according to the author

For his part, the artist Lluís Danés, author of the Mercy 2025 poster, defends his work as “an immersive and participatory proposal”, and explains that “it is not just a visual poster, but a real scenic object: a float built with wood and metal that can be seen on the streets of Barcelona during the festival”.

Danés describes the project as a “celebration of working together, shared creativity and collective enthusiasm”, with the participation of a large team of professionals from scenography, music, circus, design and other artistic disciplines. The float is inspired by the travelling theatres of the past, but, according to the director, looks to the future with a “modern, radical and emotional” proposal.

The motto of the proposal is ‘La Mercè canta’, and it is presented as an invitation to experience the festival with intensity and emotion. The artist states that he wanted to recover “the strength of what is real”, in contrast to an increasingly digital and intangible world, and calls for experiencing the city “together, diverse and joyful”.

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