Pope Leão XIV Blesses Sagrada Família's New Jesus Tower in Barcelona

Overview

• The pope celebrated Mass and blessed the central Tower of Jesus at the Sagrada Família on Wednesday, June 10, marking the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death and a high-profile inauguration attended by Spain's king and prime minister.
• The tower, completed in February 2026 and crowned by a 17‑metre cross assembled from 14 prefabricated modules, raised the basilica to 172.5 metres and finished the building's planned volumetric silhouette.
• Leão XIV used stops in Catalonia to press social themes, speaking on mental health, femicide and migrant welcome and meeting prisoners before the Sagrada Família Mass.
• Neighbors and community groups say further work and planned connections to the Glòria façade risk demolitions and displacement, and Barcelona city authorities have said the foundation must cover rehousing costs if removals occur.
• Work will continue on interior, façade and access elements with public access to the new tower expected in coming years, funding remaining reliant on donations and ticket revenue and final completion currently projected around 2032.