Pope León XIV blesses Sagrada Família's Jesus tower as Barcelona basilica becomes world's tallest church
Pope León XIV inaugurated and blessed the 172.5-metre Tower of Jesus Christ on Wednesday, exactly 100 years after Antoni Gaudí's death, making the Sagrada Família the highest church in the world.
A centenary milestone
On the evening of 10 June 2026, exactly one hundred years after the death of Antoni Gaudí, Pope León XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona's Sagrada Família. The ceremony, held from the central point of the Nativity façade, alternated between Catalan and Spanish. With the blessing, the basilica reached its full height of 172.5 metres, surpassing Ulm Minster to become the tallest church in the world. The Pope described Gaudí as "the architect of God" and called on the faithful to look to the cross for salvation.
Inauguramos la nueva torre de esta Basílica en el centenario de la muerte del venerable Antoni Gaudí, el arquitecto de Dios, dedicada a nuestro Señor Jesucristo y coronada por la Cruz, misterio de misericordia y salvación.
A liturgy of light and music
Inside the basilica, a choir of 600 voices (500 adults and 100 children) filled the nave with Gregorian chant, Catalan liturgical music, and the Virolai, accompanied by organist Juan de la Rubia and brass instruments. The ceremony integrated the 8,000 invited guests (half inside, half outside) into the spectacle through radio-frequency-controlled lamps that flickered in dialogue between the interior and the exterior. The Pope, wearing the mozzetta and stole he has used throughout his Spanish visit, became the third pontiff to celebrate Mass in the basilica, following John Paul II in 1982 and Benedict XVI in 2010.
Todos nosotros somos piedras vivas de esta obra que tiene a Cristo como fundamento.
The illumination of the cross
The artistic lighting, designed by Fundación Endesa, employs 24 high-efficiency LED beams distributed across the arms of the cross, the interior staircase, and the hyperboloid of the Agnus Dei (a feature from Gaudí's original design developed by Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito). The system saves 38% in energy consumption and avoids approximately 845 kg of CO₂ per year compared to conventional lighting. The cross itself is clad in glass and 15,000 pieces of white enamelled ceramic, designed to reflect sunlight by day and project beams across the city by night, fulfilling Gaudí's vision recorded in the 'Álbums del Temple'.
- Construction of the Sagrada Família begins.
- Antoni Gaudí dies; the Nativity façade is the only one completed in his lifetime.
- Pope John Paul II visits the Sagrada Família.
- Pope Benedict XVI consecrates the basilica and celebrates Mass.
- The Star of the Virgin Mary tower is illuminated (Fundación Endesa collaboration).
- Pope León XIV blesses the Tower of Jesus Christ on the centenary of Gaudí's death.
- Interior works on the cross arms expected to finish, opening to visitors.
Drones, fireworks, and Gaudí's face
After sunset, the illumination ceremony moved outside. Children from the choir carried small Gaudí-inspired lanterns, and the crowd raised a sea of mobile phones. A column of drones rose above the basilica and formed the face of Antoni Gaudí in blue and reddish hues, appearing to turn and smile at his nearly finished creation. The drones then dispersed and reassembled into one of his most famous phrases: "Primer l'amor, després la tècnica" (First love, then technique). The spectacle concluded with fireworks launched from the basilica, drawing a long ovation from the crowd.
A papal visit across Spain
The Sagrada Família event was the centrepiece of León XIV's broader visit to Spain, which began in Madrid on Saturday and included two days in Barcelona. Earlier on Wednesday, the Pope visited the Benedictine abbey of Montserrat and travelled by popemobile along Carrer de Rosselló from the Diagonal to the basilica, drawing large crowds and a heavy security presence. He also met with prisoners at Brians jail and visited the church of Sant Agustí. The Pope, who learned Spanish during a decade in Peru, has addressed political and social issues during the trip, including a speech to Congress urging politicians to abandon "permanent political disqualification." His journey continues to the Canary Islands before his return to Rome on Friday afternoon.
- Visit begins in Madrid; Pope addresses Congress, urging politicians to abandon 'permanent political disqualification.'
- Arrival in Barcelona for a two-day stay.
- Visits Montserrat abbey; popemobile journey along Carrer de Rosselló; visits Brians prison and Sant Agustí church.
- Mass and blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família, followed by illumination spectacle.
- Travel to the Canary Islands.
- Return to Rome in the early afternoon.
A temple still under construction
Although the Tower of Jesus is now complete, the Sagrada Família remains a work in progress. The interior of the cross arms will not be accessible to visitors until 2028, when interior works are scheduled to finish. The basilica, begun 144 years ago, is the only cathedral still under construction in Europe. Gaudí conceived it as a "Bible in stone" for an age of secularisation, and the Pope noted in his homily that it is "a temple still under construction." The exterior of the tower features palm motifs in 'trencadís' mosaic with a Latin inscription: "tú el único Santo, tú el único Señor, tú el único Altísimo."
