Vatican seeks sainthood for Antoni Gaudí

The Vatican is seeking sainthood for Antoni Gaudí, the architect behind Barcelona’s Sagrada Família church and much of the rest of the city.

The intricate, pastel-colored basilica remains unfinished, nearly a century after Gaudí’s death and 140 years after he began work on it, but it remains one of Barcelona’s biggest tourist attractions.

Gaudí himself was a devout Catholic: Campaigns to have him sainted argue the church’s beauty has converted many to the religion.

In a statement Monday, Pope Francis recognized his “heroic virtues,” the first step towards sanctification. It would be ironic if it took time: Gaudí himself said to critics of his own slow work that “my client is not in a rush.”