On Monday Pope Francis put Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan modernist once called “architect of God” for his work on the Sagrada Familia, the world -renowned basilica of Barcelona, on the path of holiness.
Francis recognized his “heroic virtues” and authorized a decree that declared him “venerable”, a move towards holiness, said the Vatican in a note. For the next step, the beatification, a miracle attributed to him should be verified. Subsequently, a confirmation of another miracle would be necessary for Gaudí to be declared Saint in the Roman Catholic Church. The process can take years, even centuries.
The Basilica marked the Pope’s decision by observing on his website that after Gaudí died at 73, a prelate leader at the time called him architect of God and that the Sagrada Familia “opens the hearts to beauty with its beauty”.
Antoni Gaudí The Cornet was born on June 25, 1852, most likely in Reus, Spain. He moved years later to Barcelona, where he studied the architecture, achieved in 1878. After working on some small projects, according to the Basilica website, “he soon became one of the most sought after architects and began to take wider commissions”.
The Gaudi Foundation observes that its association with the architect Joan Martorell I Montells brought Gaudí in contact with the rich industrialist and the leading figure of Barcelona Eusebio Güell, who “helped to generate many of the unwilling works” still admired today.
The construction of the Familia Sagrada began in 1882 and Gaudí took over the project a year later, when he was 31 years old. He has worked on the Basilica for more than four decades, the last 12 years of his life exclusively. It remains unfinished.
Gaudí was hit by a tram in Barcelona on June 7, 1926 and taken to the city hospital for the poor because he was not recognized. He died three days later.
In 2010, the Basilica was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI, who described Gaudí as “a creative architect and a practicing Christian who maintained the torch of his faith on until the end of his life, a life lived in dignity and absolute austerity”.
“Gaudí, opening his spirit to God, was able to create a space of beauty, faith and hope in this city, which brings man to a meeting with who truth and beauty itself is,” Benedict said in 2010.
In the announcement of the decree, the Vatican Dicastery for the causes of the saints, which supervises the canonization process, described Gaudí as a secular faithful which, “moved by the Union arm with the Lord”, brought a “good spiritual and moral life above the ordinary”.
He added that Gaudí “offered God the fruits of his own work understood as a mission to make people know and bring them closer to God and has made art a hymn of praise to the Lord”.
Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, said in a video declaration on Monday that “it was a joy to receive the news” that Gaudí had been declared “Venerable”. It was a recognition, he said, “not only of his architectural work, but of something more important than his holiness, who is a man who was good”.
An association to promote Gaud’s beatification was established in 1992, with the aim of achieving this objective “through the organization of lessons, exhibitions and publications; and to collect testimonies of favors granted by its intercession”, according to a book published by the Association.
In 2023, the cause was presented to the Vatican and the Archdiocese of Barcelona was officially involved.
Not many artists have reached a sanctic status. Some are prelates who have also written poems. One is a abbess who wrote musical compositions.
Between Angelico, Renaissance artist and Dominican friar who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1982, could be the best known. A great exhibition of Fra Angelico opens in Florence, Italy, September 26 and seems destined to be one of the main European art shows of autumn.
While Gaudí Inch towards Saints, so also the Sagrada Familia insinuates itself towards completion. In 2023 two towers were over and the Familia Foundation Sagrada said that he hopes that the central and higher tower will be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death.
“It was a visionary and a Christian visionary, therefore the cause of beatification is more than deserved,” said the Italian historian Giovanni Maria Vian, who defined the Familia Sagrada “the last great church” in the long history of ecclesiastical architecture in Europe.
Gaudí had conceived the Basilica “as a religious monument to give praise and praise God”, he said, just like the craftsmen who worked on the big cathedrals of the Middle Ages.