Pope blesses Sagrada Familia's new tower in firework-lit ceremony

The Pope has celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of “stones, colours and light” as he marked 100 years since the passing of its architect, Antoni Gaudí.

Pope Leo XIV visited the Barcelona church as part of his week-long trip to Spain – the first by a pontiff in 15 years – and praised the new Tower of Jesus Christ in a ceremony attended by around 120,000 people.

Speaking in Catalan and Spanish, Leo blessed the tower and its illuminated ceramic cross from outside the basilica, surrounded by bishops craning their mitre-capped heads to look up.

The completion of the tower, the tallest of 18 in the temple, means the basilica has now reached its full height of 172.5 metres, making it not only the world’s tallest church but Barcelona’s tallest building.

An angelic boy’s choir sang as a spectacular light show lit up the basilica’s stained glass windows from the inside and fireworks shot off its facade to mark the occasion.

“We are all the living stones of this edifice,” Leo said from the altar of the basilica, with Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia sitting to his side.

Queen Letizia, Spain’s King Felipe VI, Cardinal Juan Jose Omella and the Pope attend the inauguration ceremony of the Tower of Jesus Christ / Credit: AP

“Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out,” the Pope continued.

Before the service, Leo lit a candle and prayed at the tomb of Gaudí.

The Sagrada Familia was visited by 4.9 million people last year, with entry fees contributing towards its ongoing construction.

Fireworks engulf the Basilica of the Sagrada Família / Credit: AP

Historian Mònica Santín, who leads tours of the basilica, said that in designing Sagrada Familia, Gaudí was guided by two books: the Gospels and nature.

“The way he lets in the natural light is also an invitation to the Christian mystery,” she said, citing the three facades depicting Christ’s birth, death and glory.

“And when you enter inside, it is all light,” Santín said.

“What is that the symbol of? We can’t see God, but we perceive his light all around us. I think that is how you can read this message, and it is fascinating.”