Pope Leo blesses the Sagrada Família in ceremony honoring Gaudí’s architectural legacy

As the Sagrada Família inches closer to completion in Barcelona, Pope Leo XIV visited the site this week to commemorate the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. The pope also presided over the blessing of the basilica’s newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ. 

The mass, which drew more than 8,500 people, focused on Gaudí’s architectural and spiritual legacy. Prior to the mass, the pope visited the basilica's crypt and prayed at Gaudí’s tomb.

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Standing at 566 feet, the tower is now the tallest point of the basilica, making the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. The structure is crowned by a 56-foot-tall four-armed cross clad in glass and white enameled ceramic tiles, designed to reflect light both day and night in accordance with Gaudí’s original vision.

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