Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of stones, colors, and light, marking the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, with a Mass on Wednesday to inaugurate its final soaring sandcastle spire.

A Symbol of Unity and Harmony

Leo called Gaudí’s unfinished temple, one of the world’s most visited monuments, a sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain, an ongoing building project like the lifelong journey all Christians make to find God.

The service was the highlight of Leo’s weeklong visit to Spain, the first by a pope in 15 years to the once-staunchly Catholic European country that, like many others, has experienced secularizing trends.

A Work in Progress

Much more than a monument, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia remains a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, because it is a project that God is carrying out, Leo said in his homily.

The temple is an architectural and geometrical masterpiece inside and out, an art nouveau celebration in form and symbol of Christianity and God’s creation through stone and light.

The colors of the window glass have meaning: The blues and greens of the eastern portal windows, where the facade depicts Christ’s birth, look more joyful and are most brilliant when the sun rises and light passes through.

Original reporting: WTVQ (Lexington) — read the source article.