The Pope approves the first step toward sainthood for Antoni Gaudí

Pope Francis approved this Monday the decree recognizing the "heroic virtues" of architect Antoni Gaudí, known as "God's architect" for his work in designing the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. Francis, who is still recovering from a respiratory infection, received the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Marcello Semeraro, and signed several decrees, which also include the three priests Pietro Giuseppe Triest, Angelo Bughetti, and Agostino Cozzolino. The path to sainthood has several stages: the first is being declared a "venerable servant of God," a title given to a deceased person who is recognized for "having lived the virtues in a heroic manner.

" The second stage is that of blessedness, and the third, that of saint. "What a joy to know that the Pope has signed the decree declaring Antoni Gaudí venerable," says architect and Gaudí expert Chiara Curti. "A protector was truly needed for architects, but above all for all those who wish that their work not be in vain.



The first biography of Antoni Gaudí ends with these words: 'Gaudí, seen outside of faith, will always be incomprehensible.' Not only do we have one more saint to look up to, but also places where beauty is not an end in itself." Curti also recalls the impact Gaudí's buildings had on the public: "Anyone who has admired Gaudí's work at least once realizes that everything they see is not the fruit of conceptual thought, but of a deep and constant contemplation of the mysteries of nature through the eyes.

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