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<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>BARCELONA, Spain (RNS) \u2014 Visiting one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, the Basilica of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass and blessed its recently constructed central tower of Jesus Christ, which made it the tallest church in the world.<\/p>\n<p>During his Wednesday (June 10) homily before over 4,000 people, including 200 cardinals and bishops, and surrounded by the nature-inspired architecture of Antoni Gaud\u00ed, often referred to as \u201cGod\u2019s architect,\u201d the pope made a forceful appeal against war and in defense of human life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe cannot believe in Jesus and promote war. We cannot believe in Jesus and kill the innocent. We cannot believe in Jesus and abandon those who suffer, those who weep, those who flee from misery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The liturgy was accompanied by a 600-voice choir and witnessed by church and state authorities in Spain, including the Catholic monarchs King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.<\/p>\n<p>The pope praised the Barcelona church, which has been under construction for over 140 years, as \u201ca work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey because it is a project that God is carrying out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The imposing structure was built as a response to the industrial revolution of the 19th century through the support of the Association of the Devotees of St. Joseph, who sought to counter the secularization that accompanied the industrial era.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4263432\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4263432\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-427x285.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-807x538.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Leo-Sagrada-Familia2-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">People wait for Pope Leo XIV\u2019s arrival to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Leo took his name from his predecessor Leo XIII, best known for his encyclical \u201cRerum Novarum\u201d (\u201cOn New Things\u201d), which offered answers to the challenges posed by the industrial revolution. In Leo XIV\u2019s recent encyclical, the first of his papacy, he said we are witnessing a new industrial revolution and stressed the importance of putting human beings at the center of society, culture and education.<\/p>\n<p>Gaud\u00ed saw the basilica as a project in which \u201can entire people\u201d would come together and contribute, said the architect and scholar Chiara Curti, who has written three books on the Catalan architect, including her latest, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/store.sagradafamilia.org\/en\/object\/the-sagrada-familia-the-cathedral-of-light\/2034214?type=book\">The Sagrada Fam\u00edlia: The Cathedral of Light<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Curti said the faces of the people in the fa\u00e7ade of the nativity of the basilica were meant to look like the people working and living around its construction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c \u2026 The cathedral has this characteristic where each person places their own stone,\u201d she said. \u201c\u2026 It is as if (Gaud\u00ed) were saying that the history of salvation is made up of the people of today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The design of the basilica, covered in artwork and symbolism telling the story of Christ, was described by the pope as \u201can eloquent catechesis made of stones, colors and light.\u201d He added that in modern society, \u201cit becomes even more evident how art and beauty are privileged channels of evangelization.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4262159\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4262159\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-427x285.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-807x538.jpg 807w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Photos-Week04-060226-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">A view of the Basilica of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia in Barcelona, Spain, May 30, 2026, ahead of Pope Leo XIV\u2019s visit to the city in June. (AP Photo\/Emilio Morenatti)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Gaud\u00ed, who started working on the basilica in 1883, died before he could see it to completion, in 1926, after being hit by a tram car. Leo\u2019s visit coincided with the centenary of his death, as some speculated on the possibility that the pope might soon approve his canonization. Before the Mass, Leo visited Gaud\u00ed\u2019s tomb, located beneath the church.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs an architect inspired by faith, the venerable Antoni Gaud\u00ed designed this place with the desire to narrate the mysteries of the Lord\u2019s life,\u201d he said in his homily. \u201cIn this way, he has proposed to us a spiritual pilgrimage, leading to an encounter with Christ, who for our sake was born, died and rose again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis declared Gaud\u00ed venerable, a first step toward sainthood, in 2025, but the cause cannot move forward until a miracle is recognized, according to church rules. But a pope could potentially waive this prerequisite.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe church always arrives a little late to saints,\u201d Curti said, adding that Gaud\u00ed\u2019s reputation for holiness was already recognized during his lifetime. \u201cHe already accompanies people toward\u00a0the possibility of turning their lives into a work of art.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Leo also blessed the monumental tower of Jesus Christ, which stands about 566 feet tall. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church, praising it as \u201ca visible sign of the invisible God, for whose glory its towers rise,\u201d Leo recalled.<\/p>\n<p>The pope said the cross was the \u201cradiant sign\u201d of Christ\u2019s love. \u201cWhen Christ is lifted up, the grandeur of his humanity shines forth, and our works glorify God. These are the works of faith, and art stands out among them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>The blessing was followed by music, fireworks and a light show before the 9,000 people including those outside the basilica. According to local estimates, 120,000 people followed the event on the screens placed in the nearby streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n <\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/06\/10\/pope-leo-says-christians-cannot-promote-war-blesses-sagrada-familias-jesus-tower\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BARCELONA, Spain (RNS) \u2014 Visiting one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, the Basilica of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass and blessed its recently constructed central tower of Jesus Christ, which made it the tallest church in the world. During his Wednesday (June 10) homily before over 4,000 people, including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}