Pope Leo XIV presides over solemn mass commemorating hundredth anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and blesses tower of Jesus Christ - Pope Leo XIV presides over solemn mass commemorating hundredth anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and blesses tower of Jesus Christ

Today was a historic day for the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, welcoming Pope Leo XIV as part of his Apostolic Journey to Spain and commemorating the hundredth anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. This visit made Leo XIV the third Pontiff to visit the Sagrada Família, after John Paul II in 1982 and Benedict XVI, who consecrated the Temple and granted it the status of a Minor Basilica in November 2010. The visit today has had a symbolic character, as it coincides with the commemoration of the centenary of the death of the architect who devoted the final years of his life to the construction of the expiatory temple.

Welcome from high-ranking civil and religious authorities

When he arrived at the Basilica, the Holy Father was welcomed by civil and religious authorities: Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, the President of the Government of Spain, the President of the Government of Catalonia, Cardinal Joan Josep Omella i Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, and Executive Chairman of the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família Mr Esteve Camps. Before the religious service, Pope Leo XIV visited several emblematic spaces at the Sagrada Família, including the Basilica crypt, where he prayed at Antoni Gaudí’s tomb.

Solemn mass and blessing of the tower of Jesus Christ

At 8:00 pm, the Pope presided over the mass commemorating the hundredth anniversary of Gaudí’s death before thousands gathered inside and outside of the Basilica. The celebration highlighted the relevance of the Catalan architect’s message and his vision of a temple designed to proclaim the Gospel through beauty, light and nature. The day culminated with the blessing of the tower of Jesus Christ, the central event of Gaudí Year and one of the most significant milestones in the Basilica’s recent history. Standing at 172.5 metres, this tower is the highest point of the Basilica and makes the Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world. After the blessing, the Pontiff attended a finale full of light and colour, from the ground up to the first lighting of the cross, culminating with a drone-guided light show that formed the figure of Gaudí and the phrase “Primer l’amor, després la tècnica” (First love, then technique). To wrap up, the Pope unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit to the Basilica.

More than 8,500 people took part in the celebration in person, 4,500 indoors and 4,000 outdoors, while thousands more watched the event on large screens set up in several locations around the city of Barcelona and on the international broadcast.

The visit has once again made the Sagrada Família the centre of global attention and shared with the world the values that inspire the Temple: faith, culture, spirituality and the pursuit of beauty. A hundred years after the death of Antoni Gaudí, this visit from the Holy Father and the blessing of the tower of Jesus Christ were an exceptional tribute to the architect and his dream of building a temple conceived as a great stone Bible, where faith, art and architecture come together to convey the evangelical message.

A cross that reaches the sky above Barcelona

The tower of Jesus Christ is the central tower of the Sagrada Família tower grouping. It is surrounded by the four towers of the Evangelists (each connected to the central tower by a bridge) and the tower of the Virgin Mary (which connects to the tower of Jesus Christ from the inside). It has 12 faces and stands 172.5 metres tall, built with 12 levels of panels that started going in on 16 October 2018, from 85 metres off the ground.

It is topped with a three-dimensional four-armed cross, clad in glass and white enamelled ceramic tiles. The cross is 17 metres tall and 13.5 metres wide.

As noted in the Àlbums de Temple, Gaudí wanted the cross to shine both day and night. So, it features white enamelled ceramic and glass, two shiny materials that can also stand up to exposure to the elements. Plus, spotlights will be installed on the towers of the Evangelists and the towers of the Apostles to illuminate the pinnacle. Inside the cross, there is a sculpture of the Agnus Dei created by Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito following Gaudí’s original project.