The ceremony formed the centrepiece of the pontiff's week-long visit to Spain and attracted tens of thousands of worshippers to the streets surrounding the basilica. King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez attended the event, highlighting its national significance. Before the Mass, the pope paid tribute to architect Antoni Gaudí at his tomb in the basilica's crypt.
The celebration also commemorated the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death in 1926. Designed more than a century ago, the Sagrada Familia remains one of Europe's most recognised religious and architectural landmarks.
