The Vatican is seeking sainthood for Antoni Gaudí, the architect behind Barcelona’s Sagrada Família church and much of the rest of the city.
The intricate, pastel-colored basilica remains unfinished, nearly a century after Gaudí’s death and 140 years after he began work on it, but it remains one of Barcelona’s biggest tourist attractions.
Gaudí himself was a devout Catholic: Campaigns to have him sainted argue the church’s beauty has converted many to the religion.
In a statement Monday, Pope Francis recognized his “heroic virtues,” the first step towards sanctification. It would be ironic if it took time: Gaudí himself said to critics of his own slow work that “my client is not in a rush.”
AD