Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, and inaugurated the Tower of Jesus Christ, completing the iconic structure and making it the world’s tallest Catholic church at approximately 172 metres.
The service coincided with the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect who designed the basilica, as reported by Vatican News.
Gaudí was struck by a tram near the building on 7 June 1926 and died three days later, on 10 June 1926. His cause for sainthood remains open with the Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIV visits Sagrada Familia on centenary of Gaudí’s death
Leo XIV, on the fourth and final leg of his state tour of Spain, became only the third pope to enter the basilica, after John Paul II in 1982 and Benedict XVI in 2010.
Earlier in the day, he visited the Brians 1 Penitentiary Centre and the Abbey of Montserrat.
The Mass drew large crowds to the surrounding Eixample district, with authorities setting up public viewing areas to accommodate pilgrims who could not obtain entry to the basilica itself.
The ceremony is expected to define the public image of Leo XIV’s pontificate to date.
Construction on the Sagrada Familia began in 1882. When Gaudí died in 1926, the basilica was barely a quarter complete, and he left behind detailed plans that have guided its construction across the past century.
The project has been funded almost entirely by visitor ticket revenues. The Tower of Jesus Christ was the final major structure outstanding before the building could be considered architecturally complete.
World’s tallest Catholic church: the Sagrada Familia Tower of Jesus Christ
The central tower stands at 566 feet and is crowned by a five-storey ceramic cross visible from across Barcelona. Its completion surpasses the Ulm Minster in Germany, which previously held the record as the world’s tallest church of any denomination.
The Sagrada Familia now carries that distinction.
The Sagrada Familia has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and receives approximately four million visitors each year, making it one of the most visited paid attractions in Europe.
The official opening of the Tower of Jesus Christ and the papal Mass are expected to drive a sustained surge in visitor interest.
What happens next
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to depart Spain following the Barcelona leg of his visit. The Tower of Jesus Christ will be incorporated into the Sagrada Familia’s visitor circuit and will open to the public in the coming weeks.
The Catholic Church has not announced a separate ceremony to mark Gaudí’s formal beatification, though his cause remains active in Rome.
