Pope Leo XIV is presiding over a youth rally in Barcelona. It's notable for its frank discussion of depression, domestic violence and "toxic" family relationships. The American pope is urging young people to persevere in their faith when times are dark. The event featured several nods to Catalan culture, including a demonstration of the region's famed human tower acrobats, known as castellers. Leo also spoke in Catalan, more than initially foreseen.
Commuter rail service in Catalonia, Spain, was suspended Wednesday after a Barcelona train crash killed one person and injured 37 others. The crash happened Tuesday night when a train hit a retaining wall near Gelida. This incident follows Spain's worst railway disaster since 2013, which occurred Sunday in southern Spain, raising the death toll to 43. Authorities are investigating both crashes. Rail disruptions Wednesday caused significant traffic jams into Barcelona. Spain's railway operator said heavy rainfall likely caused the retaining wall to collapse. Three days of national mourning are underway as officials continue their investigations.
A Spanish research vessel that investigates marine ecosystems has been abruptly diverted from its usual task to help in the increasingly desperate search for the missing from Spain's floods. The 24 crew members aboard the Ramón Margalef were preparing Friday to use its sensors and submersible robot to map a huge offshore area to see if they can locate vehicles that last week's catastrophic floods swept into the Mediterranean Sea. The hope is that a map of sunken vehicles could lead to the recovery of bodies. Nearly a hundred people have been officially declared missing. The boat will join a wider effort by police and soldiers who have expanded their searches for bodies beyond the devastated towns and streets.
Spain's royals, prime minister and other politicians were greeted by crowds hurling mud and debris on Sunday when they tried to visit Paiporta, where over 60 people perished. It was their first visit to the area devastated by floods last week. Felipe VI repeatedly insisted that his bodyguards let him get close to talk to the angry residents. He was praised by many for his composure. But political experts also say the monarch may have given the impression that he actually has a say in the management of a crisis that doesn't look like it will be resolved anytime soon.
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