Preparations for the mass to be presided over by the Pope, which will culminate with the blessing of the Tower of Jesus, continue at full speed in the Sagrada Família. The general director of the Construction Board, Xavier Martínez, explained this morning some of the details of the ceremony that has generated so much expectation and will be held on June 10 in a packed basilica.
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Finally, 4,000 people will be able to follow the mass from inside the temple and space will be set up in Gaudí Square, in front of the Nativity façade, for another 4,000 people. Both inside and outside, screens will be set up so that people outside can follow the mass being celebrated in the basilica and then, those inside the temple can follow the blessing of the tower.
Once the mass is over, in which a choir of 600 voices will also participate, the Pope will come out in front of the Nativity façade to bless the tower. “It will be a very simple and humble act,” Martínez said. It will then be when the Tower of Jesus and the cross are illuminated. Prior to the mass, the Pope is expected to visit Gaudí’s tomb, located in the basilica’s crypt.
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The general director of the Construction Board explained that there will be active participation from the citizens of Barcelona through the parishes. “We have distributed 1,200 invitations among the parishes of Barcelona to follow the mass from inside the temple and another 3,000 tickets so they can attend outside the Sagrada Família.” Inside, the presence of authorities “will be strong,” Martínez said. Pope Leo XIV will be accompanied by cardinals and bishops “from all over Spain and abroad, about 200 ecclesiastics will come.”
The presence of the Kings, the President of the Government and the Generalitat “and other European authorities” is confirmed, Martínez added. The visit has generated great national and international interest, as evidenced by the 1,600 journalists who have requested accreditation.
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TO BE CONTINUED
