Barcelona – 06/10/2026: On Wednesday evening, Pope Leo XIV celebrated a historic mass at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona and consecrated the 172.5-meter-tall Jesus Christ Tower. This tower makes the basilica the tallest church in the world and was inaugurated exactly 100 years after the death of architect Antoni Gaudí. The celebrations took place as part of the Pope’s Apostolic Visit to Spain.
About 8,000 believers attended the mass, including 4,200 representatives from Barcelona’s parishes who were specially invited. Another 4,000 people watched the ceremony on large screens in front of the basilica’s Nativity facade. Among the guests of honor were the Spanish royal couple Felipe VI and Letizia as well as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In total, over 200 cardinals and bishops from home and abroad were present.
The Jesus Christ Tower, which now makes it the tallest church in the world, was blessed and consecrated by Pope Leo XIV. Gaudí had designed the tower to be 0.5 meters lower than Montjuïc in order to preserve harmony with the surroundings. The top of the tower is adorned with a white, illuminated cross structure made of 15,000 mother-of-pearl tiles and includes a central lamb figure. This structure was partially manufactured in Germany and symbolizes Gaudí’s innovative vision.
The mass was led by the principal organist of the Sagrada Família, Juan de la Rubia. He performed a European liturgical repertoire from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as contemporary Catalan compositions. Due to the basilica’s complex acoustics, works by J.S. Bach were avoided. Gaudí had originally designed the space for Gregorian chant, supported by multiple choirs and interconnected organs.
Pope Leo XIV praised Gaudí’s work in his sermon as a “masterpiece of stone, color, and light” and emphasized the importance of the Sagrada Família as a symbol of Christian unity and spiritual journey. He highlighted that the basilica embodies the meeting of art and spirituality and invites believers to “lift their eyes to Christ.”
The Pope also visited the Montserrat Monastery, a sacred Catalan monastery known for its Black Madonna and the oldest boys’ choir in Europe. There he stressed the importance of truth, forgiveness, and support for victims of abuse scandals within the Church.
The celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and the consecration of the tallest tower of the Sagrada Família underline the ongoing significance of this architectural masterpiece and its role as a spiritual center for believers worldwide.
Sources
- AP News
- Le Monde
- Vatican News