Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at Barcelona’s Sagrada Família Basilica on Wednesday [1].

The event marks the completion of the basilica's tallest tower, establishing the site as the tallest church in the world [2]. This milestone coincides with the centenary of the death of the church's architect, Antoni Gaudí [1].

Around 120,000 people attended the ceremony [3], which included a celebratory Mass and a firework-lit inauguration. The Tower of Jesus Christ serves as the crowning architectural element of the long-term project.

Pope Leo XIV said the church is a "sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain" and a marvel of "stones, colors, and light" [4]. He said the architecture has spiritual significance during the proceedings.

"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," the pope said [5].

The completion of the tower arrives exactly 100 years [2] after Gaudí died. While some reports suggest the timeline extends beyond a century [6], the official celebrations center on the centenary mark [1].

“The church is a "sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain"”

The inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ represents the functional completion of the basilica's primary vertical structure. By aligning the blessing with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death, the Vatican and the city of Barcelona have linked the architectural achievement to a historical legacy, cementing the Sagrada Família's status as a global landmark of both faith and art.