A Cistercian, Monsignor Octavi Vilá, is the new Archbishop of Barcelona.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop of Barcelona Monsignor Octavi Vilà Mayo, According to a statement from the Apostolic Nunciature, the current Bishop of Girona succeeds Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop since 2015, who had already submitted his resignation some time ago upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. The Bishop is 80 years old.

Monsignor Octavi Vilà Mayo (Tarragona, 1961) is a Cistercian monk and had been the head of the Girona diocese since 2024. He holds a degree in Geography and History and a diploma in Library Science and Documentation from the University of Barcelona. He completed postgraduate studies in New Information Technologies at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and in Cultural Management at Pompeu Fabra University (2000). He studied Philosophy and Theology and holds a degree in Systematic Theology from the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia.

From abbot to bishop

He was ordained a priest on May 1, 2015. He entered the Poblet Monastery in 2005 and made his solemn profession as a monk in 2010. He has been abbot of the monastery since 2014. In 2024 he was appointed bishop of Girona by Pope Francis. He was the fourth abbot of Poblet elected bishop; the last had been elected more than three hundred years prior. He is a member of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. Episcopal Commission for Consecrated Life.

In a interview in Ecclesia, In 2024, Monsignor Vilá explained regarding his episcopal appointment in Girona: “Considering that I entered Poblet at 43 years old, it's a bit of a struggle. To my surprise, shortly after being ordained a priest, I was elected abbot. And, when I was more settled or could be said to have gotten the hang of being abbot, Pope Francis appointed me to the position. I have accepted with the desire to follow the Lord's call.”.

He outlined his program as bishop: “From my original charism as a Cistercian monk, I try to deepen the atmosphere of prayer, seeking ways to bring people closer to the Lectio Divina. The key is to work in communion. And we must not forget to develop and implement a realistic pastoral action plan with the resources we have, in which priests dedicate themselves primarily to those tasks that only they can perform.”.

In another interview with Christian Catalonia, In 2024, he also outlined his program as bishop, which can serve as a reference for his new appointment in Barcelona: “The main need is to bring the Good News of the Gospel to society. As Benedict XVI says, faith is not imposed, but proposed. The best way to propose the faith is for believers to live it with sincerity and intensity. To the faithful, I have said that we must look to the faith with fidelity and conviction, and that this must be transmitted with a message of hope to all those around us, and this must be in accordance with the practice of charity.”

Ten years of Cardinal Omella

The former archbishop of Barcelona, the Cardinal Juan José Omella (Cretas, Teruel, 1946) was bishop of the diocese of Barbastro-Monzón, of Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño and, since 2015, of the archdiocese of Barcelona. He was president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference from 2020 to 2024.

He is currently a member of the Permanent Commission of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. He was also part of the council of cardinals (G-9) created by Pope Francis.