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8h ago

Pope Blesses Sagrada Família’s Tower of Jesus Christ

The papal ceremony on Antoni Gaudí’s death centenary honored the new central spire while the basilica stays an active construction site with major work and community disputes still unresolved.

A view of the Basilica of Montserrat at the Monastery of Montserrat near Barcelona, Spain, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, on Wednesday, June 10.
Performers make a human tower, known as Castells, for Pope Leo XIV as he leads a vigil of prayer at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, in Barcelona, on Tuesday, June 9.

Overview

  • Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass and blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Família on Wednesday, marking a public inauguration timed to the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death.
  • The tower was structurally completed in February and reaches about 172.5 metres (roughly 564–566 feet), a height that makes the basilica the world’s tallest church.
  • Work continues inside the building on stone cladding, elevator installation and finishing details, so the blessing was ceremonial rather than a declaration that the project is finished.
  • Plans for the remaining Glory façade and main entrance would require demolition or relocation of nearby homes, a proposal that has drawn strong local opposition and ongoing negotiations with city authorities.
  • The Sagrada Família is funded mainly by visitor revenue — roughly 4.9–5 million annual visitors — and project leaders now target practical completion in the 2030s, while Gaudí’s cause for sainthood advances after his 2025 declaration as 'venerable'.