Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí, the architect of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, might be on his way to sainthood.
The Sagrada Família is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring structures in the world. The design details and the symbolism embedded into the building give the church infinite layers to peel back and explore. The church has, famously, been under construction since 1882. It was only consecrated in 2010 and is scheduled for completion in 2026, just in time for the centenary of Gaudí’s death. Throughout that time, however, the public’s opinion of the church has changed drastically. Gaudí’s work was not always popular. Many early twentieth-century architects dismissed his work as overly complicated, trying to revive some of design’s more intricate decorative aspects. Gerald Brenan, for example, described the structure as “vulgar” and “pretentious”. However, by the 1950s and 1960s, the building became a popular tourist attraction. Ricard Maria Carles, the archbishop of Barcelona, first proposed that Gaudí be made a saint in 1998, adding his voice to a growing crowd of advocates. And now, earlier this week, Pope Francis granted Antoni Gaudí the title of Venerable, marking one step towards official recognition as a saint by the Catholic Church.
This recognition signifies that the Church has conducted an investigation into the architect’s life, with a report submitted to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. This department has approved the candidate, at which point they would be given the title of Venerable. The next step in the process is beatification, where the Church investigates whether miracles can be attributed to the individual, indicating that they have the power to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray to them. At this point, the individual can be venerated, but only on a limited scale, primarily in places associated with them during their lifetime. Canonization is the process by which a person is declared a saint and can be venerated by the entire Church.
Gaudí was very religious and maintained a relatively simple, almost monklike lifestyle. In their statement issued on April 14th, the Dicastery referred to Gaudí’s “heroic virtues” as justification for his new venerable status. Many people are committed to the cause of Gaudí’s sainthood and have been collecting testimony for over a decade that would contribute towards his candidacy. This includes one incident of a woman named Montserrat Barenys, who had a perforated retina in one of her eyes. After praying to Gaudí, she claims that her sight in that eye was miraculously restored. Neither medical professionals nor the Vatican has confirmed this alleged miracle. If Gaudí’s sainthood candidacy progresses, the Sagrada Família may gain another role. Gaudí is buried at the church, meaning that the building will become a site of veneration for the new saint on top of its other uses.