“Raise Your Gaze”: Pope Leo XIV’s Visit and Gaudí’s Dream for the Sagrada Familia

Photo: Antoni Gaudí in 1878, photographed by Pau/Pablo Audouard. Source: Wikimedia Commons

BARCELONA, Spain — “Alzad La Mirada” or “Raise Your Gaze” is the theme of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic visit to Spain.

The message is closely connected to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and to the vision of its architect, Antoni Gaudí.

On June 10, 2026, the 100th death anniversary of Gaudí, the Pope will celebrate a holy Mass at the Sagrada Familia and is expected to bless the cross on top of the Tower of Jesus Christ.

From that moment on, the four-armed cross will shine during the day through the light of the sun, and at night through its illumination, just as Gaudí had planned.

This will be a historic moment for Barcelona. Once completed, the Tower of Jesus Christ will reach 172.5 meters, making the Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world.

Gaudí designed it to remain slightly lower than Montjuic, Barcelona’s famous hill, because for him, a work made by man should not stand above God’s creation.

The cross was central to Gaudí’s vision. On January 22, 1926, he said: "The central spire would end with a four-armed cross, with rays of light that, on nights of great solemnity, would draw a cross in the sky, under whose glow the city would rest."

For Gaudí, the cross was never just an architectural detail. It was a sign meant to make people look upward, beyond daily worries, beyond themselves, and toward God.

Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, said the theme invites people to look at the cross not only as a sign of suffering, but also as a sign of love, hope and faith.

He also said that looking at the cross is not always easy because it reminds people of pain, loneliness and violence. But at the same time, the cross speaks of a love that gives itself and embraces others.

For the faithful, the message is simple but deep: the cross does not condemn. It accompanies, gives light and points the way.

For many Catholics, including Filipino migrants in Spain, this message also speaks to their own journey: to keep looking up, to keep their faith alive, and to find strength in a Church that remains a place of prayer, community and belonging.