On Wednesday evening, the fifth day of his apostolic journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV visited the Sagrada Familia to celebrate Mass and then bless the Tower of Jesus Christ, which stands at more than 564 feet tall. Moving past standard tourist tropes, the Pope highlighted the basilica as a hub for popular catechesis deeply woven into the local neighborhood and the city of Barcelona.
At the end of the blessing, the Pope sat down beside the King and Queen for a truly impressive light and music performance led by the tender voices of a boys' choir and a full symphony, and completed with drone-lights of Gaudí and fireworks.
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Watch the whole show at Rome Reports YouTube channel here. The quote from Gaudí that is created in lights is: "First love, then technique."
From stonecutter to living stones
The iconic, breathtaking Sagrada Familia — with construction expected to continue for another decade — is the brainchild of architectural genius Antoni Gaudí. This year, 2026, marks the centenary of his death and the Pope's activities at the basilica were on the exact date of the anniversary, June 10. For a century, generations of artisans, laborers, and architects have worked consecutively to build the basilica.
Some who initially arrived just to offer their technical skills encountered the Lord here. That's exactly what happened to Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo, born in 1953. He was captivated by the basilica during a European trip in 1978. Eventually, he returned as a simple stonecutter before being chosen to sculpt figures for the Nativity façade. This artistic journey led him to request baptism in the Catholic Church, and he later received the Ratzinger Prize in 2024.
Pope Leo chose to spotlight this dimension of living faith during his visit, metaphorically entering the massive basilica through a small “door” of vulnerability and fragility. Surrounded and tenderly encouraged by the King and Queen of Spain, Valentina, a 12-year-old blind girl, welcomed the Pope with a drawing that she had created by using her hands to explore a scale model of the Tower of Jesus Christ. For several minutes, in a moment that felt suspended in time, she shared her impressions and her understanding of the building with him.
Welcoming the little ones
ONCE—a Spanish national organization supporting the blind—organized this moment. It designed the encounter to highlight how vital cultural accessibility is for the visually impaired. Yet it also carried profound spiritual weight, showing that the basilica opens its arms to everyone, especially the smallest among us.
A few minutes before the Pope's arrival, a look at the apartment buildings surrounding the Sagrada Familia revealed just how close the local community is to this basilica. Gaudí created it in a working-class neighborhood. Amid a few Vatican flags and a sea of Catalan flags, everyday life played out on some of the balconies: a two-year-old girl scooted around, an elderly woman watched the security detail with a skeptical look, and a couple enjoyed an evening drink. Daily life simply kept moving.
Mercedes, a woman born in the neighborhood 50 years ago, didn't hide her frustration over the restrictive security perimeter surrounding her building. However, she said she's thrilled to see the church she grew up next to, become the center of global attention.
“The basilica gives us something to dream about, and it’s grown so much over the years. It’s completely changed Barcelona's image,” she explained. “And it’s an architectural marvel,” her husband, Carlos, added. Though they consider themselves non-believers, they both admitted that the Pope’s visit is “a great honor for our city.”
A symbol of unity for Spain
“Today, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia welcomes us to this beautiful city, opening its doors like arms to invite everyone to this altar, to listen to the Word of God that makes us a family loved by the Lord, nourished by his own life in the Eucharist,” the Pope declared in his homily.
The joint presence of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia alongside Catalan leaders and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez — who hadn't attended a Catholic celebration since taking office — presented the image of a “holy family” gathered around a unifying symbol. The Pope recognized this immediately, describing the building as a “sign of unity and concord for all of Spain.”
Many in the crowd expressed hopes that Leo XIV will return for the basilica's final dedication when construction is completed, likely around 2034–2036. This is a plausible and exciting prospect for the Catalan people, who welcomed Leo as one of their own, deeply appreciating his linguistic efforts. Since arriving in Barcelona, he has surprised locals by speaking Catalan with unexpected fluency. “Papa Lléò XIV” successfully placed the people of Catalonia at the center of the world's stage.
The visual Bible of the poor
Beyond local pride, the Pope also emphasized the power of the Sagrada Familia as a catechetical tool for everyone. “In her wisdom, the Church thus renews the Biblia pauperum [Bible of the poor] constituted of ancient cathedrals, which are themselves deeply rich messages of evangelization,” the Pope emphasized in his homily. He concluded that, especially in our era of images, “art and beauty are outstanding channels of evangelization.” By inspiring thousands of people daily to lift their eyes toward heaven, the Sagrada Familia opens up pathways for God to enter.
