Between Politics and Devotion: Religion and Mobility at the International Eucharistic Congress of Barcelona (1952)

This article illustrates how Catholicism contributed to the rebuilding of local and transnational mobility in early Cold War Europe. After World War II came to an end, Christian hopes for a post-war spiritual renewal led to a significant resurgence of religion in the West. The trauma of division and oppression, as well as the fear of a devastating international nuclear war, resulted in a particular enthusiasm for spirituality. Transnational pilgrimages and similar religious gatherings thrived. In addition, largely as a result of Pius XII's promotion of Catholic Action, the participation and mobility of Catholics in national and international forums (including the UN) increased. One particularly interesting case study is the 1952 International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Barcelona. The gathering was organized by a formerly Axis-aligned dictatorship: Franco's Spain. In the late 1940s, the country had been condemned to diplomatic isolation due to its wartime ties with the Axis powers. It was also subject to strict curtailments imposed on the internal circulation of goods, people, and ideas. Consequently, organizing the Congress posed considerable challenges for the regime, including the regulation of attendance by determining who was permitted to participate (i.e. pilgrims, refugees) and who was barred (i.e. migrants). In the end, the Congress brought together nearly two million faithful Catholics from all over the world. As a mass international event and an example of ‘religion in motion’ (Hervieu-Léger, 1999), the Barcelona IEC offers a significant opportunity to advance and nuance the historical understanding of the powerful local and international mobilities that have played a role in shaping the contemporary world.