Pope Leo XIV Blesses Sagrada Família on Centenary of Gaudí's Death as 144-Year Construction Nears Completion

Barcelona, Spain – Ten hours before he was due to pass by, the faithful were already picking their spots along the route Pope Leo XIV would take on his brief journey to bless Antoni Gaudí's iconic church, the Sagrada Família. After 144 years of construction, the moment had finally arrived.

This evening, 144 years after work began, the pope blessed the basilica's recently completed central tower in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister, and hundreds of bishops. With the completion of the Jesus Christ tower – the tallest of 18 in the temple – the basilica has reached its full height of 172.5 metres, making it not only the world's tallest church but Barcelona's tallest building.

The Sagrada Família was consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, but today's blessing marks a historic milestone as the church finally reaches its full vertical dimension on the centenary of Gaudí's death.

'Gaudí Deserves to Be a Saint': Faithful Flock to Barcelona

Ramón and Marisa from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, both draped in Vatican flags, were among those who arrived early to drink in the atmosphere.

"We're of the generation of John Paul II and Leo reminds us a lot of him," Marisa said. "We're very happy that he's come here to Barcelona."

Ramón said the Sagrada Família gives him goosebumps. "Gaudí deserves to be a saint just for building it," Marisa added. "It's a divine construction."

A few blocks away, Rosmira Pasadis from Venezuela said she'd brought fruit and water to get her through the long wait.

"This pope is very charismatic and he's got a gift for communicating, especially with the young," she said. "His visit is important for me not just because I'm a Catholic but because we hope he will call for the release of political prisoners in Venezuela and for our freedom."

Security and Celebration Amid Barcelona Standstill

Security measures, which include the closure of several metro stations and streets, brought the city close to a standstill. Only invited guests could get anywhere near the Sagrada Família itself. However, souvenir shops nearby were doing steady business selling pope memorabilia alongside their usual collection of Gaudí-themed souvenirs.

Police estimated 70,000 people would line the route along the pope's short journey – fewer than in Madrid and fewer still than the 650,000 who turned out for FC Barcelona's victory parade after they won the Spanish league last month.

God's Architect: Remembering Gaudí

Today marks the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, described by his biographer Gijs Van Hensbergen as "a man with a medieval soul and an avant-garde mind." Often known as God's Architect, Gaudí dedicated the last 12 years of his life to work on the Sagrada Família.

At a time when many in Barcelona were turning away from religion, Gaudí said he wanted to create a church for everyone, "a bible in stone" – hence the depiction of local people and scenes from everyday life among more conventional religious images.

According to industrial historian James Douet, "the Sagrada Família was conceived to bring Barcelona's disaffected industrial working classes back to Catholic beliefs, to turn them away from the anarchist violence and anti-clerical hostility that had become characteristic of the city, and in some way to expiate or atone for the sinfulness of its inhabitants."

Gaudí died on June 10, 1926, after being struck by a tram in Barcelona. He was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Família, the church to which he had devoted his final years.

Blessing the Towers: Pope's Full Barcelona Schedule

Blessing the towers was the last stop in Pope Leo's busy Barcelona schedule, which included:

• An audience with Catalan President Salvador Illa
• A visit to a high-security prison
• Saying the rosary at the monastery at Montserrat
• A plea for Catalan unity delivered in both Spanish and Catalan

The pope's visit comes at a delicate political moment in Catalonia, where tensions between separatist movements and the central Spanish government have simmered for years. By addressing the crowd in both Spanish and Catalan, Leo signaled a message of unity and reconciliation.

The Long Road to Completion

Although the Sagrada Família has reached its full height, completion of the Glory facade of the main entrance is still a decade away. Then there is the construction of the contentious grand stairway, which would entail rehousing between 1,000 and 10,000 people, depending on which plan is implemented.

The dispute over whether what we see today has anything to do with what Gaudí intended is bound to rumble on. As long ago as 1965, a group of artists and architects – among them Le Corbusier, Ricardo Bofill, and Joan Miró – said work on the basilica should stop, citing "the mediocrity of the promoters who are using Gaudí to make their mark to the detriment of the original work."

However, Jordi Faulí, the architect charged with completing the work, says Gaudí understood that only a small part of the temple would be built in his lifetime and left detailed drawings and instructions. Although several were subsequently lost or destroyed, Faulí maintains that enough remains to ensure his successors can realise Gaudí's vision.

Gaudí's Path to Sainthood

The question of Gaudí's beatification remains open. Last year, Pope Francis authorised a decree declaring the architect "venerable" – an early step on the road to being canonised by the Catholic church. The title "venerable" recognizes that Gaudí lived a life of heroic virtue.

If Gaudí is beatified and eventually canonized, the Sagrada Família could become a place of pilgrimage as well as a tourist destination – further cementing its status as one of the world's most visited monuments.

The Sagrada Família is visited by about 5 million people a year, each paying upwards of €26 (£22), making it good business for the Catholic church. At current prices, annual revenue exceeds €130 million.

A Global Icon Beyond Religion

Mateu Hernández, the head of Visit Barcelona, emphasised the city's secular status when he said the Sagrada Família was now "a global icon equal to the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal or the Pyramids."

Unlike those landmarks, however, the Sagrada Família remains a consecrated church – a place of worship as well as a tourist attraction. This duality has created tensions between religious and secular uses of the space, with some critics arguing that mass tourism has diminished its spiritual character.

In the century and a half since work began on the temple, Barcelona has continued to be a city more inclined to rebellion than prayer. Time will tell whether Pope Leo's visit will lead its rebellious citizens back towards the path of righteousness – or whether the Sagrada Família will remain, as it has been for generations, a monument to faith, art, and the enduring vision of one man.