Overview
- On Tuesday June 10, 2026 Pope León XIV celebrated Mass at the Sagrada Família and formally blessed and inaugurated the Torre de Jesucristo in a ceremony capped by a large light, pyrotechnic and drone show.
- The tower’s exterior was finished and its 17‑metre cross was installed on February 20, bringing the basilica to 172.5 metres and making it the tallest church building in the world.
- The Pope delivered his homily in Catalan and Spanish, warning that faith cannot coexist with violence and urging care for migrants and the vulnerable.
- The service drew thousands of people, high-level attendees including King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and was broadly celebrated by the public despite small political protests.
- Organisers say interior work, including a glass elevator, will continue and the tower will open to visitors in 2028, a change that city officials say will require new measures to manage Barcelona’s growing tourist pressure.