Pope Leon XIV blesses tallest Sagrada Familia tower in Barcelona

On 10 June 2026, Pope Leon XIV performed a Mass at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and blessed the newly completed 172.5 metre tower of Jesus Christ, the highest point of Antoni Gaudí’s basilica. The tower, finished a century after Gaudí’s death, makes the basilica the tallest church in the world, standing just below Montjuïc hill.

Thousands of faithful attended, including Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. In his address the Pope delivered a stark anti‑war statement, saying “Christians cannot believe in Christ and promote war,” and alluded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies in the Middle East, denouncing the notion of a “just war” and urging political leaders to pursue peace.