Pope Leo blesses Sagrada Familia even as it remains unfinished

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Pope Leo XIV yesterday offered a formal blessing to the highest spire of the Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction for 144 years and counting. Its architect, Antoni Gaudí, was a devout Catholic who spent 43 years building the basilica in Barcelona until he was hit and killed by a tram in 1926. A century after his death, Gaudí is known as “God’s architect” and on the path to sainthood. Leo was the third pope to visit the church, but did so at a chastening moment. Some locals are afraid that their homes may be destroyed to complete the Sagrada Familia, while the country as a whole has become increasingly secularised. Although more than half of the population identify as Catholic, only about 18% are practising.