Overview
- Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in the Sagrada Família and blessed the newly finished Jesus‑Christ central tower on June 10, an event attended by about 4,000 guests including King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
- The tower reached a final height of 172.5 metres after the February installation of a walkable double cross made by German firm Gartner, making the building the tallest church in the world.
- Organizers capped the evening with a public light show using drones and fireworks that projected Gaudí imagery and quotes over the basilica, drawing thousands more spectators into the surrounding streets.
- The Sagrada Família remains an unfinished basilica with full completion projected in the 2030s and a budget that now relies heavily on ticket revenue, which drew almost 4.9 million visitors in 2025 and about €134.5 million in receipts.
- Residents and scholars voiced renewed criticism of commercialisation and specific features such as the walkable cross and plans for a new main entrance that could require demolition of nearby homes, while the Vatican continues to review Gaudí’s beatification case.