Pope Francis has declared Antoni Gaudí, architect of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, as being a Venerable, which according to the Sagrada Familia website, is “a Christian who, having lived their life by Christian virtues, is a candidate for beatification. Venerable is the second step on the path to canonisation after Servant of God and having examined the consistent, joyful practice of the theological and moral virtues for a significant period of their life”.
The website also says that that “Gaudí, moved by God’s grace, aimed to create a work that would be ‘a Bible in stone’, Catechism open to all.” In fact, Gaudí’s approach to modern architecture was unprecedented and “broke all the established rules,” it states.
The Sagrada Família is a major tourist attraction, with up to 5 million visitors year, representing between 14,000 and 16,000 people per day. In 2023, 85% of visitors were from outside of Spain. Construction, which started in 1882, is ongoing, and the project is expected to be completed in 2026. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world.
Read the piece on the Sagrada Familia website here.