Leo embraces Barcelona, from prison to Gaudí's basilica
In the Catalan city, Leo XIV visited the Brians 1 prison, followed by the inauguration of the Jesus Christ Tower, the tallest in the Sagrada Familia at 172.5 metres. He was “deeply moved” by the stories of two inmates at the detention facility. "God loves you as you are, but he dreams of you being even better,” he told the prisoners. “[L]ife’s mistakes do not define a person’s identity.” Tonight, Mass will be celebrated on the anniversary of the venerable architect's death.
Barcelona (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV's second day in Barcelona began with a visit to the Brians 1 penitentiary centre, in the town of Sant Esteve Sesrovires. Later this evening, the pontiff will lead Mass at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia and take part in the inauguration of the Jesus Christ Tower, the tallest, on the 100th anniversary of the death of architect Antoni Gaudí.
The pope offered the Catalan city an all-encompassing embrace, moving from the peripheries of existence to the centre, from the bottom to the top, inspired by the hope that, “Every human being is ‘worthy’ by the mere fact ‘of having been willed, created and loved by God’.”
At the Centre Penitenciari Brians 1, two inmates, Montse and Josefina – two names, two faces, two lives marked by pain and the longing for freedom – shared their story with the Holy Father.
Leo listened to them, hugged them, and gave them the rosary with the papal coat of arms, saying that he was "deeply moved" by what he heard.
He stressed the work by the diocesan penitentiary ministry of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, which supports inmates on their journey of faith.
Montse and Josefina were joined by the centre’s director, who is responsible for more than a thousand people, about a thousand men and 150 women.
Representatives from other detention facilities in Catalonia – Brians 2 and Wad Ras – were also present, along with chaplains and volunteers.
The inmates’ stories spoke of a faith capable of sustaining in the most tragic hours of life, paving the way for hope and conversion.
“For a long time, I had tried to believe in God and I hadn't succeeded. In reality, life hadn't allowed me to," said one of them, standing a few metres from the pope.
When he spoke, Leo said that, there is “no situation that causes the Lord to turn his gaze away from us. It is a consoling truth that accompanies us at all times and reminds us how his merciful love always outweighs whatever good or evil we may have done.”
These words reach deep, putting the spotlight on pain, a "gaze" that is tangible today, in the eyes of Leo XIV. “Dear brothers and sisters, this is especially true for you,” the pope said.
“When you are tempted to feel inferior and think it is not worth going on, ‘lift up your eyes’ to the One who, through the presence of so many people, never ceases to show you his love and closeness,” he said.
"[L]ife's mistakes do not define a person's identity." The pontiff invites us to remember this truth, despite the fact that "anxiety" and "sadness" may mark many moments in the lives of those listening.
Citing the Confessions of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo XIV said that in his life journey, the saint emphasised how, by trusting “divine grace”, it is possible to “discover in our lives how the past does not condemn the future, but rather offers us the possibility of changing our decisions and choices.”
Therefore, “Let us make room for the Lord in our hearts and seek his face. Let us allow his love to guide us,” the pope said. “Let us cling to him, who continually invites us to hope and shows us a wonderful horizon that no physical barrier can prevent us from reaching. Today, he continues to speak to us in the depths of our consciences, helping us discover that he dwells among us. He is only waiting for us to give him a chance.”
The pontiff went on to urge the faithful to “keep dreaming God's dream. To each of you I say: God loves you just as you are, but he dreams of you being even better!” In fact, God allows “all to start anew”.
For Leo, “being human and being Christian does not mean never making mistakes, but rather growing in the ability to convert, repent, make amends and, above all, to reconcile and forgive.”
This evening at 7:30 pm, the pontiff will lead Mass at the Sagrada Familia, the ambitious project undertaken by Antoni Gaudí, the greatest representative of Catalan modernism, who fervently devoted his work until his death in an accident in 1926 at the age of 74.
The construction of the Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, began in 1882 and has gone on for a long time, not only due to technical and bureaucratic obstacles but also due to the splendour of the work.
The towers dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saints Mark and Luke were inaugurated in the past five years. Those dedicated to John and Matthew were inaugurated in 2023, under the direction of Jordi Faulì.
Work on the Jesus Christ Tower, inaugurated today by Leo XIV, began in 2018. It reaches a height of 172.5 metres and is the central and most significant architectural element in Gaudí's building.
The cross at its top is 17 metres tall and was installed on 20 February 2026. It is adorned with a sculpture by Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito: Agnus Dei, a symbol of Jesus Christ.
Gaudí himself wanted the Agnus Dei. Mastrovito won the international competition for its creation in 2025. The "luminous transparency" of his work, crafted from glass and gold, was recognised.
The inauguration by Pope Leo XIV, following a Mass in honour of the architect Gaudí, represents a historic moment and milestone in the (almost) endless saga of the Basilica.
The ceremony will take place in the presence of the Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya Salvador Illa.
The event is part of a broad programme of celebrations that will continue until the end of 2026.
A thread also links the Sagrada Familia to Asia. As AsiaNews reported two years ago, Kyoto-born Japanese sculptor Etsurō Sotoo, has been working at the basilica since 1978.
In 2024, Sotoo was the first Asian to be awarded the Ratzinger Prize. Influenced by Gaudí, he converted to Christianity.
The story of the construction of the Sagrada Familia goes back more than 140 years. Launched by the venerable Gaudí, dubbed “God’s architect”, it has taken on a global dimension, a symbol of architectural and technical excellence but, above all, of encounter with God.
For Etsurō Sotoo, “as long as God and destiny allow it, I will remain here, to take care of her, sculpting, dreaming and working so that every corner of this temple reflects the divine light”.
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