PREVIEW

Pope Leo Blesses Sagrada Família’s Landmark New Tower in Historic Barcelona Ceremony. Pope Leo celebrated a historic mass at Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Família, blessing the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ: a major milestone in the basilica’s 144-year construction history. The ceremony coincided with the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí’s death and drew tens of thousands of worshippers, alongside Spain’s royal family and political leaders. With the completion of the 172.5-metre tower, the Sagrada Família has become the tallest church in the world, fulfilling a central element of Gaudí’s original vision. During the mass, Pope Leo praised the basilica as an “architectural masterpiece” and a symbol of faith, unity and harmony, while also using his homily to call for peace and condemn violence. The event formed the centrepiece of the pontiff’s first visit to Spain and underlines the enduring cultural and religious significance of the landmark. Although the tower is complete, major elements of the basilica, including the Glory Façade and surrounding works, remain under construction and are not expected to be finished until the next decade. For many attendees, the Pope’s blessing reaffirms the symbolic culmination of a century-long effort to bring one of the world’s most ambitious architectural projects closer to completion.
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