Sagrada Família's tallest tower completed as Pope Leo XIV blesses Gaudí's masterpiece

Exterior finished 144 years after ground-breaking, on centenary of Gaudí's death; pope leads mass at Barcelona landmark as 40,000 gather on Montjuïc hill

A view of the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona, Spain, just before Pope Leo XIV celebrated mass there on Wednesday. [AFP]

Pope Leo XIV celebrated a commemorative mass for Antoni Gaudí i Cornet — known as "the architect of God" — at Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Família on Wednesday and blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ, the basilica's tallest spire.

The Sagrada Família, which broke ground in March 1882 and has been under construction for 145 years, is the tallest church in the world. The completion of the central Tower of Jesus Christ — the basilica's highest point — coincided with the centenary of Gaudí's death and his ongoing beatification cause, marking the formal completion of the church's overall exterior and structure this year.

In February, a cross was installed atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, bringing it to its full height of 172.5 meters. In keeping with Gaudí's conviction that no man-made structure should rise above God's creation, the tower stands just slightly shorter than Montjuïc hill — Barcelona's highest point at 173 meters.

The Glory Façade, the main entrance, and the interior remain under construction, and plans for a large exterior staircase have drawn friction from the surrounding community, pushing the projected final completion to around 2034. Even so, the Sagrada Família construction board says the church's full exterior and structural form is officially complete this year. Last month, workers finished installing the sculptural work "Lamb of God" inside the Tower of Jesus Christ. The remaining crane-locking structures on the exterior are set to be removed soon, and an elevator will be installed inside the tower.

The interior of the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona, Spain, ahead of the papal mass on Wednesday. [Reuters]

The Gaudí commemorative mass and blessing ceremony served as the highlight of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain, which runs from Saturday through Friday. Spanish King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez were among those in attendance.

Spain has greeted the visit of the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics with wide enthusiasm. It is the first papal visit to the country since Pope Benedict XVI came in 2011 — a gap of 15 years.

An outdoor mass held Sunday at Cibeles Square in central Madrid drew 1.5 million people. On Monday, the pope addressed the Spanish parliament — the first pontiff ever to do so. Throughout the visit, he repeatedly criticized global polarization and rearmament, and called for peace, patience, dialogue, and solidarity with vulnerable communities.

Leo XIV, the first American pope, has put himself at odds with President Donald Trump through a series of anti-war messages as the United States wages war against Iran. The visit concludes in the Canary Islands — a major gateway for migrants crossing the Atlantic into Europe — and the pope's opposition to discrimination against immigrants has also been seen as a point of friction with the Trump administration.

Spain under Sánchez's center-left government has been among the most vocal critics of the Middle East war and has maintained relatively open immigration policies, though the country, like others across Europe, is also experiencing a surge in right-wing sentiment.

Fireworks light up the sky over the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona during the dedication ceremony for the Tower of Jesus Christ as part of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to Spain on Wednesday. [Reuters]

The pope arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday and began his schedule in Catalonia. That afternoon he celebrated mass at Barcelona Cathedral, and in the evening he delivered a homily at a vigil prayer event attended by 40,000 young people at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc hill.

The pope drew a particularly warm response by speaking in Catalan as well as Spanish — an adjustment made after the Vatican had earlier said he would use only Spanish during the visit, drawing criticism.

Having spent many years in pastoral ministry in Peru, the pope is fluent in Spanish. But Catalonia — Spain's wealthiest region and one with a strong independence movement — is deeply protective of its native language.

Young people in the audience confessed to struggles not only of faith but of everyday life, including depression and domestic violence. The pope responded with words of comfort and encouragement, saying "God does not abandon us." He also said society must not dismiss depression as something invisible yet pervasive that deeply affects young people, and he warned of the dangers of violence against women.

The pope also urged the crowd to ask themselves: "What must we change, and how must we be renewed? In what direction do we want to go, and what kind of society do we want to build?"

Fireworks erupt around the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona after Pope Leo XIV blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ on Wednesday. [AFP]

On Wednesday morning, the pope visited Can Brians prison on the outskirts of Barcelona and met with inmates — the first papal visit to a Spanish prison. There, he said that "a person's past does not pass sentence on their future; rather, it offers the possibility of change through our decisions and choices."

He then traveled to Montserrat Monastery, a popular tourist destination near Barcelona that marked its 1,000th anniversary last year, where he led a rosary prayer. Around 7,000 people gathered inside and outside the monastery, and the faithful crowding the balcony area cheered the pope while waving Vatican City and Catalan flags.

In a homily delivered in a mix of Catalan and Spanish, the pope said he asked the Virgin Mary to "teach us to refrain from hurtful words, hasty judgments, gossip and slander," adding: "May we learn to love so that hatred is transformed into hope and peace — in our homes, among friends, in the workplace, on social media, in political debate and within the Christian community." He then returned to Barcelona, stopping at the Church of Sant Agustí before heading to the Sagrada Família.

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