The Sagrada Familia will become the world’s tallest church when finished Pope Benedict XVI is to visit the Spanish city of Barcelona to consecrate Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral, the Sagrada Familia, as a basilica.
Gaudi’s greatest work has been under construction for more than a century, and will not be finished before 2026.
But the Pope will dedicate its altar and celebrate its first mass on Sunday.
In Santiago de Compostela on Saturday, he warned of an “aggressive anti-clericalism” in Spain which was akin to that experienced during the 1930s.
The comments were a reference to the civil war era, during which Republicans killed thousands of priests and nuns, and burned churches.
Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, Spain’s Socialist-led government has introduced laws allowing gay marriage, fast-track divorce and easier access to abortions.
“The building shows that through art we can achieve spirituality that people need so much”
Jordi Bonet Armengol Chief architect, Sagrada Familia
Work began on Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) in 1882, based on a design by Francesc de Paula Villar, who envisioned a simple church in a traditional neo-Gothic style.
But after he resigned in 1883, Gaudi was appointed the lead architect and redesigned the church entirely. His imaginative plans included 18 spires and five naves, rich with decorated organic detailing.
He once said it was an expression of “the divine history of the salvation of man through Christ incarnate, given to the world by the Virgin Mary”.
In 1911, the devout Catholic devoted himself entirely to the project, and spent the next 15 years living and working on site as a virtual recluse, supervising work. He died in 1926, after being run over by a tram.
Already a Unesco world heritage site visited by millions, it will become the world’s tallest church when the 170m (560ft) central tower is erected.
Although work is not scheduled to finish for many more years, enough work has been done to welcome Pope Benedict, including covering the central nave and installing stained-glass windows there.
Jordi Bonet Armengol, the current chief architect, said he hoped the Pope’s visit would provide the boost needed to finish the construction, which is funded by private donations and visitors’ fees.
The Pope was greeted by thousands of people as he arrived in Santiago de Compostela
“He will bring a message of spirituality and it’s a stimulus to finish the work,” he told the Reuters news agency. “The building shows that through art we can achieve spirituality that people need so much.”
Gay activists have meanwhile said they will stage a “kiss-in” outside the Sagrada Familia when the Pope arrives to consecrate it.
“Our main goal is to perform a symbolic act through love to show other forms of love,” the organisers said in a statement.
This is Pope Benedict’s second visit to Spain since his election, and a third visit is planned next year for World Youth Day, a sign of how important the Vatican considers the health of the Church in the country.
Only 14.4% of Spaniards regularly attend mass, and legal changes to allow divorce, gay marriage and abortion have caused concern to the Church. But 73% of Spaniards still define themselves as Catholic.
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