Pope Leo XIV Blesses the Sagrada Família's Tallest Tower on the Centenary of Gaudí's Death

On 10 June, Pope Leo XIV consecrated the Tower of Jesus Christ — the main and tallest tower of the Barcelona basilica Sagrada Família. The ceremony took place exactly 100 years after the death of architect Antoni Gaudí, who was struck by a tram and died after being mistaken for a homeless man.

Inside the church, 9,000 people gathered; outside, 130,000. Attending the ceremony were King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia, prime minister Pedro Sánchez with his wife Begoña Gómez, the head of the Catalan government Salvador Illa, the speaker of the Catalan parliament Josep Rull, and the mayor of Barcelona Jaume Collboni. Before the start of the Mass, Leo XIV prayed at Gaudí's tomb in the basilica's crypt.

Construction of the Tower of Jesus Christ began on 16 October 2018 with the installation of the first panels at a height of 85 metres. The final element of the cross was installed on 20 February 2026. The cross is covered with glass and 15,000 fragments of white enamelled ceramic. Gaudí's idea is that the materials radiate a glow by day under the rays of the Mediterranean sun and shine brightly at night. The arms of the cross have stained-glass windows through which light enters — and in 2028, when the interior work is completed, a viewing platform will open here.

The Pope's Mass was accompanied by a choir of 500 adults and 100 children, who performed the chants. In his homily, Leo XIV called the Sagrada Família "a masterpiece of architecture and an eloquent catechism (a book or document setting out the fundamentals of religious teaching) of stone, flowers, and light." He delivered an unambiguous political message: "You cannot believe in Jesus and support war. You cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent. You cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, weep, and flee from suffering."