Pope blesses Sagrada Familia’s Tower of Jesus after visits to prison and Montserrat

The ceremony, held on the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, was one of the central events of the pontiff’s week-long visit to Spain and drew thousands of worshippers to the iconic basilica, including King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

After celebrating Mass inside the vast, light-filled church, Leo walked outside to bless the 172.5-metre Tower of Jesus Christ, crowned by a five-storey ceramic cross that can be seen across much of Barcelona. ALSO READ: Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia becomes world’s tallest church as central tower is crowned.

Describing the Sagrada Familia as an ‘architectural masterpiece’, the Pope said the basilica was ‘much more than a monument’ and praised Gaudí’s vision of creating a spiritual journey through architecture.

The pontiff said the church ‘opens its doors as if they were arms’ to welcome believers and described it as ‘an eloquent catechesis made of stones, colours and light’.

The cross crowning the new tower, he added, serves as ‘a lighthouse open to the Mediterranean’.

Delivering his homily in both Catalan and Spanish, Leo used the occasion to issue a strong appeal for peace.

‘We cannot believe in Jesus and promote war,’ he said, adding that Christians cannot ‘kill the innocent’ or ‘abandon those who suffer, those who cry, those who flee from misery.’

The comments came after the Pope recently attracted criticism from US President Donald Trump following his condemnation of the war with Iran. ALSO READ: Pedro Sánchez responds to Donald Trump: ‘No to war’.

Speaking before a packed congregation of around 4,000 people inside the basilica, with many more following the service on giant screens outside and elsewhere across Barcelona, Leo said the Sagrada Familia stood as a ‘sign of unity and concord’. ALSO READ: Pope Leo calls for respect for migrants, end to rearmament in historic speech to Spanish parliament.

Marking the centenary of Gaudí’s death, he praised the architect for conceiving the basilica as a way to ‘narrate the mysteries of the life of the Lord’ and guide believers towards Christ ‘born, died, and risen’.

The visit came a year after the Vatican approved a major step in Gaudí’s path towards sainthood. Often referred to by Vatican media as ‘God’s architect’, the Catalan visionary devoted more than four decades of his life to the project before dying after being struck by a tram in 1926. ALSO READ: Vatican puts ‘God’s architect’, the Catalan Antoni Gaudí, on path to sainthood.

Leo is the third pope to visit the Sagrada Familia. Construction of the basilica remains ongoing and, although originally expected to be completed this year, the latest target date has been pushed back to 2035.

The Pope said the fact that the church remains unfinished does not detract from its beauty, but instead reminds believers that ‘the Christian life is always a journey’.

The Sagrada Familia and six other works by Gaudí have UNESCO World Heritage status and attract millions of visitors every year. Last year a record 4.9 million people visited the basilica, with ticket revenues helping fund the continuing construction work.

Following the Mass, the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ was marked with music, fireworks and a drone display of Antoní Gaudí above Barcelona (main image and see RTVE video link below).

Earlier in the day, Pope Leo visited Brians prison near Barcelona and later travelled to the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, where he delivered messages centred on forgiveness, reconciliation and hope. ALSO READ: Pope Leo draws 1.2 million to Madrid Mass, calling for unity, faith and compassion.

Brians Prison

Leo became the first pope ever to visit a prison in Spain when he met inmates at Brians 1 penitentiary in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, around 30 kilometres northwest of Barcelona.

Addressing around 80 prisoners from Brians 1, Brians 2 and Wad Ras prisons, all of whom regularly participate in prison pastoral activities, the Pope urged them to embrace ‘reconciliation and forgiveness’ and to ‘begin again’.

‘Remember that life’s mistakes do not determine a person’s identity,’ he told inmates.

Speaking first in Catalan and then in Spanish, Leo said that ‘being human and Christian does not mean never making mistakes’ and highlighted ‘the capacity for conversion, repentance, self-amendment and, above all, reconciliation and forgiveness’ as a way to ‘begin again’.

He also stressed that a person’s past ‘does not condemn the future but rather offers the possibility of changing our decisions and choices’.

The Pope listened to testimonies from two female prisoners selected by the prison chaplain.

Josefina, who described herself as a lifelong believer, said her faith gives her ‘strength and life’ while serving her sentence.

Montse said she had not ‘managed’ to believe in God before entering prison but that faith had helped her ‘be a better person’ and see ‘resentment leave’.

Both women embraced the pontiff after speaking.

The prisoners later presented Leo with a ceramic plate decorated with a dove, symbolising freedom and hope. 

Montserrat Abbey

The Pope’s final stop before travelling to Barcelona was Montserrat Abbey, where up to 8,000 faithful gathered to welcome him at Catalonia’s most important religious sanctuary.

After arriving shortly before midday, Leo travelled by Popemobile from the Mirador dels Apòstols to the abbey entrance, where he was greeted by Abbot Manel Gasch and around 800 students from Christian schools.

Addressing the crowds from a monastery balcony, the Pope thanked Catalonia ‘for welcoming so many people from other countries, as it shows how to integrate everyone into one family’.

‘Thank you all for being here this morning to remind everyone in Catalonia, Spain and the world that faith gives life and hope,’ he said.

The pontiff also urged Christians to reject division and hostility, calling on them to renounce ‘hurtful words, hasty judgment, gossip and slander’, including on social media.

Leo is only the second pope to visit Montserrat after Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1982. However, Montserrat also holds a special place in the Leo’s personal history. During his years as a missionary and parish priest in northern Peru, he helped promote the construction of a church dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat and served for more than a decade in the Monserratete neighbourhood of Trujillo.

There is also a symbolic link between his papal name and the monastery. Robert Prevost chose the name Leo XIV after Leo XIII, the pope who declared the Virgin of Montserrat patron saint of Catalonia in 1880. 

ALSO READ: Pope Leo begins landmark Spain tour amid political tensions and migration debate.