Spanish King and Queen attend mass for Barcelona terror victims

Spain's King Felipe VI (1st L), Queen Letizia (1st R) and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (2nd L) stand in front of the Sagrada Familia before a mass to commemorate victims of two devastating terror attacks in Barcelona, Spain, on Aug 20, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BARCELONA -- King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain attended a mass for "Peace and Concord," which was held in Barcelona's Sagrada Familia on Sunday morning in memory of the 14 victims of the Barcelona and Cambrils terrorist attacks.

The religious ceremony was also attended by Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy and Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colou and Catalan regional leader, Carles Puigedemont, as well as the Prime Minister and President of Portugal, Antonio Costa and Marcelo Rebollo de Sousa, who showed their support for the 2 Portuguese victims of the attacks, and representatives of other authorities and security forces.

Hundreds of people, both locals and tourists attended the ceremony in one of Barcelona's most famous buildings and a place that was rumored to be one of the original targets for the terrorist cell.

They heard Sebastia Taltavull, the Auxiliary Archbishop of Barcelona ask for the pain felt in Barcelona to open the door for "a new style of understanding which respects human rights and gives dignity to all, overcoming all differences and exclusions."

Meanwhile the Cardinal-Archbishop, Jose Omella asked for society to be "artisans for peace," adding that "unity makes us strong, while division errors and destroys us."