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Pope Leo arrives in Barcelona to bless Sagrada Familia's new tower, making it the world's tallest church
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Pope Leo arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday, the fourth day of his visit to Spain, to celebrate mass in the Sagrada Familia Basilica and bless its new tower. This new tower has made the Sagrada Familia the world's tallest church. Before arriving in Barcelona, Pope Leo was in Madrid where he delivered a speech to parliament and held an open-air mass for 1.5 million people. He also thanked thousands of volunteers who assisted with logistics and security in the capital. In Barcelona, Pope Leo is scheduled to visit the city’s Gothic cathedral and lead a prayer vigil in the Olympic Stadium later on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he is expected to meet prisoners and visit an abbey on Montserrat mountain before the mass at the Sagrada Familia. The mass will mark 100 years since the death of architect Antoni Gaudi, who designed the still-unfinished modernist masterpiece. After the mass, Pope Leo will bless the Jesus Christ tower, completed in February, which brought the basilica to its maximum height of 172.5 meters. Full completion of the Sagrada Familia is anticipated in approximately a decade. Pope Leo will then travel to the Canary Islands on Thursday and Friday to meet migrants and volunteers, and to honor those who died attempting to reach the archipelago.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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