Faithful line streets as Pope Leo to bless Sagrada Família on centenary of Gaudí’s death

Blessing the towers is the last stop in the pope’s busy Barcelona schedule and will take place in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Blessing the towers is the last stop in the pope’s busy Barcelona schedule and will take place in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Faithful line streets as Pope Leo to bless Sagrada Família on centenary of Gaudí’s death As completion of 144-year construction nears, questions swirl over resemblance of church to architect’s original plans Ten hours before he was due to pass by, the faithful were already picking their spots along the route Pope Leo XIV will take on his brief journey to bless Antoni Gaudí’s iconic church the Sagrada Família. It’s been a long wait but this evening, 144 years after work began, the pope will bless the basilica’s recently completed central tower in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops. With the completion of the Jesus Christ tower, the tallest of 18 in the temple, the basilica has reached its full height of 172.5 metres. It is now not only the world’s tallest church but Barcelona’s tallest building. It was consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. View image in fullscreen The completion of the Jesus Christ tower makes the Sagrada Familia the world’s tallest church and Barcelona’s tallest building at 172.5 metres. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Ramón and Marisa from L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, both draped in Vatican flags, were among those who arrived early to drink in the atmosphere. “We’re of the generation of John Paul II and Leo reminds us a lot of him,” Marisa said. “We’re very happy that he’s come here to Barcelona.” Ramón said the Sagrada Família gives him goosebumps. “Gaudí deserves to be a saint just for building it,” Marisa said. “It’s a divine construction.” A few blocks away, Rosmira Pasadis from Venezuela said she’d brought some fruit and water to get her through the long wait. “This pope is very charismatic and he’s got a gift for communicating, especially with the young,” she said. Pope uses Spain speech to warn of global ‘spiritual and cultural crisis’ Read more “His visit is important for me not just because I’m a Catholic but because we hope he will call for the release of political prisoners in Venezuela and for our freedom.” Security measures, which include the closure of several metro stations and streets, have brought the city close to a standstill, while only invited guests can get anywhere near the Sagrada Família itself. However, souvenir shops nearby were doing steady business selling pope memorabilia alongside their usual collection of Gaudiana tat. View image in fullscreen Pope Leo arriving at the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat on Wednesday. Photograph: Yara Nardi/Reuters Police esti