The Sagrada Família was consecrated as a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.
The ceremony took place on 7 November 2010, when Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica. The Mass marked a major milestone for a building that had been under construction since 1882.
Antoni Gaudí became the project’s chief architect in 1883 and transformed it into an enormous, highly symbolic church inspired by Christian theology and natural forms. Although the building was still unfinished at the consecration, its nave and central worship space were usable for liturgy.
A common mix-up is calling the Sagrada Família Barcelona’s cathedral. It is a basilica, while the city’s cathedral is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. Another frequently confused date is 1984, when parts of Gaudí’s work first received UNESCO recognition; that is unrelated to the basilica’s consecration.