Particle.news
Download on the App Store
25 ARTICLES
·
9h ago

Pope Leo Blesses Sagrada Família’s Tower of Jesus, Crowds Mark Gaudí Centenary

The papal blessing makes the Tower of Jesus a consecrated symbol in Barcelona, raising questions about tourism-driven funding, local housing disputes, Gaudí's path to sainthood.

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 at the Sagrada Família and blessed the Tower of Jesus on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in a ceremony that drew thousands inside the basilica and an estimated 120,000 people to the surrounding streets.
  • The tower reached structural completion in February 2026 at 172.5 metres (566 feet), a height that now makes the Sagrada Família the world’s tallest church; the June 10 rite formally inaugurated and illuminated the new ceramic cross atop the spire.
  • The event included a large official presence—King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez attended—and a public multimedia program of lights, drones and fireworks that honored Antoni Gaudí on the 100th anniversary of his death.
  • Work continues: interior finishing, lift installation and other towers remain under construction with visitor access to parts of the new tower targeted for 2028 and overall completion plans extending into the mid-2030s, with 2035 cited as a planning benchmark.
  • Funding comes almost entirely from ticket sales and patronage, which has financed progress but also fuelled overtourism and local opposition to the planned Glory Façade and grand entrance that would require demolition or relocation of nearby homes.