Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia has become the world’s tallest church, reaching 172.5 metres after the completion of its Jesus tower. Pope Leo XIV is due to visit the basilica on 10 June to bless the tower and celebrate the Eucharist inside the church.

The Jesus tower was completed on 20 February and is topped by a 17-metre, 100-tonne ceramic and glass cross. That puts the basilica above Germany’s Ulm Cathedral, and also makes it Barcelona’s tallest building.

Esteve Camps, president of the Sagrada Familia Construction Board, said the papal visit will have a global impact and needs careful management. The basilica has 4,000 seats for the blessing ceremony, but more than 10,000 applications have already been received.

The church is also one of Barcelona’s biggest visitor draws. It was Spain’s most visited monument in 2025, with 4.8 million tickets sold. It is the world’s second most visited church, behind St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Ticket sales brought in €134 million in 2025, with €113 million going to construction, the rest covering maintenance and operations, and nearly €5 million set aside for social work through the Sagrada Familia Social Action Fund.

Mr Camps said the basilica’s popularity has long shaped the city around it. He pointed to the 2010 visit by Pope Benedict XVI, which he said led to a 48% rise in visits. He also warned that the Sagrada Familia could “die of success”, as around 50,000 people pass by its exterior each day, often causing congestion in the surrounding Eixample streets and squares.

Construction began in 1882, with Antoni Gaudí taking charge in 1883. He worked on the project for 43 years, spending his final eight months living in a workshop inside the temple. Gaudí died on 10 June 1926, three days after being hit by a tram on Gran Via between Girona and Bailèn streets. He is buried in the Sagrada Familia crypt.

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Originally published by El País Barcelona. Read original article.