On Wednesday, June 10, Pope Leo XIV will solemnly bless this tower — on the very day marking exactly one hundred years since the death of its creator, Antoni Gaudí. The symbolism is completed by the name on the papal throne: the church's foundation stone was laid in 1882 during the pontificate of Leo XIII. 144 years later, the work is being crowned by a pope bearing the same name. National Catholic Reporter / OSV News ↗
A cross that came from Germany
The twelve-sided Tower of Jesus Christ is the highest point of the basilica and, after decades of work, has reached its planned height. It is topped by a four-armed cross 17 meters tall and 13.5 meters wide, which was manufactured in Germany and transported to Barcelona in pieces. Vatican News ↗The first arm of the cross was installed on October 27, 2025, bringing the church to 162.91 meters and, within days, surpassing Ulm Minster's 161.53 meters. It reached its final height of 172.5 meters when exterior work on the central tower was completed on February 20, 2026, with the lifting of the upper part of the cross. Chief architect Jordi Faulí described it as the result of years of studying the legacy left behind by Gaudí. Designboom ↗
The basilica itself is not yet entirely finished. Decorative work continues, and a long-running dispute also remains open over the monumental staircase to the Glory Façade, which, according to Gaudí's plans, would require intervention in the surrounding built-up area. The Tower of the Virgin Mary, the second-highest point of the church, was completed in 2021. National Catholic Reporter / OSV News ↗
The centenary of an architect mistaken for a beggar
On June 7, 1926, Antoni Gaudí was struck by tram number 30 on Barcelona's Gran Via avenue. Passersby took the seventy-three-year-old architect, dressed in worn clothes, for a beggar, and for a long time no one helped him. He succumbed to his injuries three days later, on June 10, 1926. That is precisely why the papal Mass and the blessing of the tower fall on this date. France 24 ↗For Gaudí, nicknamed "God's architect," the centenary could also be a step toward the altar. The Vatican declared him "venerable" last year, one of the stages on the path to canonization. Beatification would still require recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession; according to France 24, the Church is examining the case of a woman from Gaudí's birthplace of Reus, who claims she was healed of an eye disease after praying to the architect. France 24 ↗
A pope in a divided country
The visit is the first papal trip to Spain in fifteen years — the last was Benedict XVI in 2011 for World Youth Day in Madrid; a year earlier, in 2010, he had personally consecrated the basilica. Pope Francis never visited Spain in person. Leo XIV, the first American to hold the papal office, is nevertheless familiar with the country from his time as a priest, when he traveled there repeatedly. Vatican News ↗The pope arrived in the country at a tense time: the socialist government of Pedro Sánchez is facing corruption scandals, and the Church itself is facing a crisis of credibility following revelations of abuse by clergy. Right at the start of the trip, he urged Spaniards to stop "fueling the fire of polarization." PBS NewsHour ↗
At the same time, during Mass, he told secular society not to relegate faith to a "museum of the past." Religion News Service ↗ Despite the polarization, he was welcomed by huge crowds. On Sunday, more than 1.2 million people gathered at Madrid's Cibeles square for the Mass and Corpus Christi procession, with another half a million, mostly young people, at the evening vigil at Plaza de Lima. On Tuesday evening, Leo XIV was to lead a prayer vigil at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium, Lluís Companys, where organizers expected around 37,000 people. Catalan News ↗
Also read: First papal visit to Spain in 15 years: Leo XIV came to bless a divided country
What hotinfo is following
- Wednesday's Mass and the blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ on June 10, including the light show over Barcelona in honor of Gaudí.
- Whether the Vatican will move toward beatifying Gaudí and how the assessment of the alleged miracle turns out.
- When the basilica will be fully completed and how the dispute over the staircase to the Glory Façade will be resolved.
- What response the pope's appeal against polarization will receive in secular Spain, and whether it will have any impact on the crises surrounding Sánchez's government.
