Architect of Spain’s famous Sagrada Familia declared venerable

Pope Francis has approved the recognition of the "heroic virtues" of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), the Holy See Press Office informed on April 14, 2025. The designer of the Sagrada Familia, the famous neo-Gothic basilica in Barcelona consecrated by Benedict XVI in 2010, is now "venerable."

This is the first step toward the beatification and canonization of the man who has been nicknamed "God's architect."

Gaudí considered himself a collaborator, not a creator: Creation is God’s work.

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