Pope Francis blesses Gaudí’s Sagrada Família tower in Barcelona

Pope Francis visited Barcelona to bless the unfinished Sagrada Família, marking the culmination of Antoni Gaudí’s century‑long project. The ceremony, attended by the Spanish king, the prime minister, the president of the Generalitat, the Barcelona mayor and many church leaders, drew about 9,000 worshippers inside the basilica and roughly 130,000 spectators outside.

In a multilingual homily that switched between Catalan and Spanish, the pope declared the basilica “an architectural masterpiece and a stone‑and‑light catechesis.” The celebration featured choirs, children’s choirs, a spectacular light show, drones and fireworks, and concluded with the illumination of the newly installed 17‑metre‑high ceramic cross that will shine over the city day and night.