By Courtney Mares
OSV News
BARCELONA, Spain — Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica June 10, inaugurating the crowning spire that makes the iconic church the tallest Catholic church the world and urging people to lift their gaze to Christ “who alone reveals to us the truth about God and the truth about ourselves.”
Pope Leo celebrated Mass inside the basilica and formally inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet, before a crowd of thousands gathered inside and around the Sagrada Familia.
“By looking at Christ, we can see the world with renewed eyes: the tower of the cross then becomes a banner of charity, for God loves us in this way, transforming an instrument of death into a sign of hope,” the pope said.
The Tower of Jesus Christ is now the tallest structure in Barcelona, and it makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world.
Spain’s King Felipe VI welcomed the pope upon his arrival at the basilica. Before Mass, Pope Leo descended to the basilica’s crypt to pray at the tomb of Antoni Gaudi, the visionary Catalan architect who devoted 43 years of his life to the design and construction of the basilica before his death in 1926 at age 73.
The papal Mass fell on the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Known as “God’s architect,” Gaudi’s cause for canonization advanced last year when Pope Francis declared him venerable in April 2025.
Pope Leo paid tribute to the visionary builder in his homily, reflecting on Gaudi’s intent to narrate the mysteries of Christ’s life through stone and light.
Pope Leo pointed to the Sagrada Familia as a testament to the power of art and beauty to draw people closer to God.
“In her wisdom, the church thus renews the ‘Biblia pauperum’ of the ancient cathedrals, which are in themselves rich messages of evangelization,” he said, invoking the medieval tradition of visual depictions of the Scripture designed to communicate the faith to those who could not read.
An estimated 9,000 people attended the papal Mass inside the basilica, while an estimated 120,000 people worshipped from outside.
In his homily in the Sagrada Familia, Pope Leo issued a forceful appeal against abortion, war and the exclusion of migrants.
“Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot believe in Jesus and promote war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent even before birth. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those who flee from misery,” the pope said.
Pope Leo also paid tribute to Gaudi and to all who have labored on the basilica across generations.
The foundation stone of the Sagrada Familia was laid in 1882. The project was initially entrusted to architect Francisco de Paula del Villar before passing to Gaudi in 1883, who transformed it into one of the most ambitious building projects in modern history, comprising three facades, five naves and 18 towers. The portion built by Gaudi was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Despite the completion of its crowning tower, the basilica remains unfinished; work is still ongoing on the baptistery, the sacristy, the Chapel of the Assumption, the cloisters and the Glory Facade. It is projected that the basilica will not be completed until 2036.
Pope Leo embraced that incompleteness as a spiritual metaphor. “Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out,” he said.
After Mass, the pope presided over the formal blessing of the Tower of Jesus Christ. The inauguration ceremony concluded with an interactive light show, a live musical performance and a drone show.
Above: Pope Leo XIV stood June 10 before the blessing and inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. (Simone Risoluti / Vatican News / OSV News)