Homily for La Mercè without quibbles and with references to disadvantaged groups
This Saturday morning the mass of the Virgin of the Mercè. the cardinal Juan Jose Omela has opted for a homily without quibbles, nothing unusual in past editions of the mass that is celebrated on the occasion of the main festival in the basilica of la Mercè. On the contrary, talkative, he has recognized that “it is a national sport to criticize politicians”, even the clergy, he has added, but has encouraged the few councilors present in the church (Jaume Collboni, Albert Batlle, Josep Bou…) not to stop working for the most disadvantaged. The homily was even interesting from one point of view. On Friday, during the presentation of Carla Simón as herald, the mayor Ada Colau made an express request that the situation of immigrants without a residence permit be regularized, because their situation accentuates that there is more than one Barcelona within the municipal area. Councilors such as Eva Parera, from Valents, criticized that allusion, nothing unexpected in his increasingly right-leaning line of argument. In her homily, Omella has made explicit reference to all disadvantaged groups, and among them she has not excluded immigrants who are forced to live with uncertainty in the city. She has called on the councilors to work to improve their living conditions. There has been no controversy, reports Carles Cols.