For him to be beatified, the next step would be the assignment of a miracle to Gaudí; After that, it would be necessary a 2nd miracle to declare holy
Pope Francis approved the first step towards the holiness of Antoni Gaudí, the modernist architect behind Barcelona’s “Sagrada Familia” basilica, said the Vatican on Monday.
Gaudí was a godly man who worked for over 40 years in the Holy Family, the world’s largest unfinished Roman Catholic Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s largest tourist attractions.
Francis approved a decree recognizing Gaudí’s “heroic virtues”, the Vatican said in a statement.
For him to be beatified, the next step would be the assignment of a miracle to Gaudi. After that, it would take a second miracle for him to be declared holy.
The construction of the Holy Family began in 1882, but the project, known for its high Gothic towers, remains unfinished, even after the architect dedicated the last 12 years of his life exclusively to the project.
The conclusion was scheduled for 2026, centenary of the death of Gaudí, to whom the Vatican’s means of communication, the Vatican Newsreferred as “the architect of God.”
The expected date was postponed indefinitely after the COVID-19 pandemic reduced tourist revenues used to finance the construction.
