Translated with AI
Pope Leo XIV consecrated the Tower of Jesus Christ in Barcelona's Sagrada Familia on the 100th anniversary of the death of the renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, the BBC reports.
During his visit to Spain, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also celebrated Mass in the famous cathedral, considered Gaudí's crowning achievement. Construction on the cathedral has been ongoing for over a century and is expected to be completed in the coming years.
The Tower of Jesus Christ became the cathedral's highest point. Its height, including the cross, reaches 172.5 meters. This makes the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world.
Construction of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882. Just one year later, the project was entrusted to the young architect Antoni Gaudí, who dedicated a significant part of his life to it.
The solemn mass took place exactly one hundred years after the architect's death. At the time of Gaudí's death in 1926, only one of the 18 towers envisioned in his original design had been built.
In the following decades, construction of the cathedral continued under the direction of the Sagrada Familia Foundation. Construction is financed by ticket sales and private donations.
Despite the completion of the main tower, work on the church complex continues. Over the next decade, plans call for the creation of new decorative elements and sculptures, as well as the construction of a staircase leading to the cathedral's main entrance.
