The Pope blesses the Jesus Tower of the Sagrada Família.Image: keystone
June 11, 2026, 9:49 a.mJune 11, 2026, 9:49 a.m
Pope Leo Around 4,000 participants were invited, including King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The pontiff had previously prayed at Gaudí’s grave in the crypt of the basilica.
Pope Leo XIV prayed in front of Antoni Gaudí’s grave.Image: keystone
In his homily, the Pope described the church, which remains unfinished 144 years after construction began, as an architectural masterpiece and a “visible sign of the invisible God,” “in whose honor its towers rise.” As a deeply religious architect, Gaudí “designed these rooms with the desire to tell the secrets of the Lord’s life.”
“We cannot believe in Jesus and wage war.”
Pope Leo XIV
On the fifth day of his visit to Spain, the Pope once again spoke out against war and violence, as well as the disregard for the suffering of people on the run and in need. «We cannot believe in Jesus and wage war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill innocent people. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who cry, those who flee from hardship.”
After the blessing comes the (fireworks) sun.Image: keystone
Highest church in the world with a double cross from Bavaria
After the mass at the end of his stay in Barcelona, the Pope blessed the Main tower that made the basilica the tallest church in the world. Ulm Minster had held this title since 1890. The Jesus Tower reached its final height of 172.5 meters in February by placing a double cross that could be accessed from the inside. It was manufactured by the steel construction company Gartner in Gundelfingen, Bavaria.
Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer, who traveled to the ceremony, praised the double cross in a statement as an “extraordinary German contribution to the completion of one of the most famous buildings in the world”. Places like the Sagrada Família are a reminder of what Europe has in common culturally.
In advance, the Pope was allowed to examine a model of the double cross.Image: www.imago-images.de
After the blessing ceremony that Leo held in front of the Nativity Facade, there was a light and fireworks show after dark. The image of Gaudí was drawn in several colors in the sky using drones, to the cheers of the audience. The drones then formed up for one of the architect’s most famous quotes in Catalan: “First comes love and then technology.”
Financed by donations and entrance fees
The monumental building, whose foundation stone was laid in 1882, is not expected to be fully completed until the 2030s. The unusual and impressive building attracts more people from all over the world every year; in 2025 there were almost 4.9 million. This resulted in 134.5 million euros in entry fees. From the beginning, the construction was only financed by donations and now largely from entrance fees.
The magnificent interior view during the fair.Image: keystone
Meeting with migrants in the Canary Islands
On Thursday the Pope will fly to the Canary Islands. On the last stop of his week-long trip to Spain, the head of 1.4 billion Catholics wants to meet, among other things, migrants, especially from Africa.
Tens of thousands of men, women and children have arrived there in small wooden boats across the Atlantic from Africa in recent years in the hope of a better and safer life. There are repeated reports of deaths during the dangerous crossing. The Pope has repeatedly spoken out in favor of a humane treatment of migrants who must be given a chance for a new life. (dab/sda/dpa)