The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, will complete its tallest central tower 144 years after construction began. On the 10th (local time), the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí's death, Pope Leo XIV plans to visit the basilica to bless the "tower of Jesus Christ."
According to the Sagrada Familia's official event page and other sources, Pope Leo XIV will preside over a memorial Mass for Gaudí at the basilica on the evening of the 10th and bless the tower of Jesus Christ, the central tower of the church.
The tower of Jesus Christ is the tallest of the 18 towers that make up the Sagrada Familia. The tower reached a height of 172.5 meters in February when the final structural element was installed. With this, the Sagrada Familia became the tallest church building in the world.
Gaudí is known to have designed the basilica's height to be lower than Barcelona's Montjuïc hill, believing that buildings made by humans should not be higher than nature made by God. Montjuïc stands at about 173 meters, slightly taller than the tower of Jesus Christ.
Construction on the Sagrada Familia began in 1882. Starting in 1883, the following year, Gaudí took over the design and transformed the church into a structure combining symbols of nature and religion. However, on June 10, 1926, Gaudí died in a tram accident in Barcelona, and at that time only part of the church had been built.
Work was delayed several times due to war, funding shortages, and damage to design materials. During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Gaudí's workshop was burned, and many of his drawings and models were damaged. Since then, his disciples and later architects have carried on the work based on the remaining blueprints, photographs, models, and records.
This blessing does not mean the entire basilica is complete. The "glory facade," which serves as the main entrance, along with exterior stairs and some decorative work, remains unfinished. In particular, the plan to build large steps in front of the glory facade has become a source of community conflict, tied to the demolition of nearby residential buildings and the relocation of residents. The final completion is expected in the mid-2030s.
The Sagrada Familia is a religious facility and a landmark tourist attraction representing Barcelona. According to the basilica's official report, there were 4,877,567 paying visitors in 2025. By nationality, the United States accounted for the largest share at 15.07%, followed by China at 7.20%, Italy at 6.92%, France at 6.91%, and Korea at 4.93%.
The Sagrada Familia was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. UNESCO has designated the Nativity facade and the crypt, among the elements Gaudí directly worked on during his lifetime, as a World Heritage site.