Saint Gaudí?
On Monday, April 14, Pope Francis declared Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí “venerable”—the second of four steps in canonizing the designer of Barcelona’s world-famous Sagrada Família—one year ahead of the basilica's expected completion and the centenary of Gaudí's death.
Although the process of canonization did not begin until this century, Rev. Manel Trens i Ribas named Antoni Gaudí i Cornet “God's architect” when he died in 1926 at the age of 73. This is according to the website of the Basilica of Sagrada Família, which describes Gaudí as “an archetype of the connection between the Gospel and art, an example of magnificent intertwining of human, professional work and faith.”
Gaudí famously lived on the grounds of the basilica for the last months of his life. On June 7, 1926, crossing Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes for his daily prayer, he was struck by a tram and, unrecognizable to anyone but his closest friends, was taken to a hospital for the poor, where he died three days later. Around 30,000 people attended his funeral.
The canonization process was made official in 2003, when the Archbishop of Barcelona bestowed the title “Servant of God” on Gaudí and submitted a petition and numerous documents to the Vatican, “as proof of Gaudi's ability to intercede with God on behalf of those who pray to him,” per the Guardian. Among the arguments for sainthood at the time were claims that the “ceramic adornments that liven the Sagrada Familia's exterior have the power to convert unbelievers.”
This week, a full 25 years later, Pope Francis venerated Gaudí, with the statement from the Vatican reading, in part: “Born in 1852, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet accepted the task of directing the project of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 1883. His focus was making art a hymn of praise to the Lord and he considered it his mission to make God known and bring people closer to Him.” Following Servant of God and veneration, which bestows the title “Venerable,” the ensuing steps are Beatification (“Blessed”) and then canonization as a saint.
Gaudí's ongoing masterpiece, Sagrada Familia, was officially consecrated in November 2010 by Benedict XVI, who proclaimed it a minor basilica. As construction has ramped up in the years since, notable milestones have included the inauguration of the tower of the Virgin Mary in December 2021 and the completion of five of the basilica's six central towers in November 2023. The tallest tower, the central tower of Jesus Christ, is scheduled for completion in 2026. Like the construction of Sagrada Família, which has been ongoing for more than 140 years, the process of sainthood is a long one, spanning decades, if not centuries. So it is unlikely we will be calling the “Venerable” Gaudí a saint by the time the basilica is completed next year.
