Pope blesses Barcelona’s Gaudi-designed towering architectural masterpiece
CNN • • general
Key Points:
- Antoni Gaudí, architect of Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, died in 1926 after being hit by a tram and not receiving immediate medical help due to being mistaken for a beggar.
- On the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, Pope Leo XIV visited the basilica to celebrate Mass and inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ, making the church the tallest in the world.
- The Sagrada Família, still unfinished after 144 years, is a major religious and architectural landmark attracting millions of visitors yearly, with more Americans visiting than Spaniards.
- During the Mass, the pope praised Gaudí’s faith-inspired design and highlighted the basilica as a “work in progress” symbolizing hope and promise, while also condemning war and violence in his homily.
- The basilica’s construction has faced setbacks including the Spanish civil war and loss of original plans, but modern technology and Gaudí’s design logic continue to guide its completion under current architect Jordi Faulí.