The Archdiocese of Barcelona unveiled on its website today its major promotional materials for the Holy Father's visit on November 7 to consecrate Antonio Gaudi's architectural masterwork, the Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia - destined to be the most stylistically significant major cathedral since the Middle Ages.
The materials are in Catalan, the language of Catalonia (of which Barcelona is the capital), as well as in Spanish, and consist of the poster, a catechesis on the visit, and a prayer card/book marker.
As I have not gotten round to translating the interview with Barcelona's Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach about the Pope's visit, here meanwhile is an interview that ZENIT had that has to do with the visit to Barcelona.
Preparing Gaudi's church for the Pope:
Interview with the chairman of
the Sagrada Familia Foundation
By Patricia Navas
BARCELONA, Spain, JULY 20, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's visit to the Church of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is a message to the world of the transcendent meaning of Antoni Gaudi's famed church, says Joan Rigol of the Sagrada Familia Foundation.
The Pontiff will visit Santiago de Compostela on Nov. 6 for the Jacobeo Holy Year, and go to Barcelona the next day to consecrate the religious monument that has been declared patrimony of humanity.
Construction on the church began in 1882, and it is expected to be completed by 2026. A portion of the building's interior, however, is set to be opened this year.
In this interview with ZENIT, Rigol explains the details of the preparation for the papal visit, as well as the construction of a train tunnel near the church that could threaten the structure.
What is the significance of Benedict XVI's visit to the church?
For us this signifies an ecclesial dimension at its highest representation, which is the Pope, and above all, it indicates the universal projection of the Sagrada Familia cathedral in the Christian realm.
The message of Sagrada Familia, through architecture and culture, is a transcendent message: a call to universal fraternity.
This central message of Christianity -- treating all persons as brothers and sisters -- should at the same time be projected to persons that do not have this sense of faith, but who also feel solidaristic in universal fraternity.
The Pope's coming confirms this message at the world level from the cultural and artistic point of view, especially the call to universal fraternity.
How are you preparing for this event?
First, we are now completing the interior of the church, which follows the guidelines and definition that Gaudi made of the interior; he left a very precise model of how he saw the interior.
Probably at the end of July everything will be ready to await the coming of the Pope on Nov. 7, from the material point of view.
In addition, we are appealing to Christians to receive the Pope. The archbishop of the diocese and the commission he has created are in charge of this aspect.
Because the coming of the Pope is not centered solely and exclusively on the Sagrada Familia consecration, but it is also for Christians who live in Barcelona, in Catalonia and in Spain.
A trip of this kind has its organizational complexities and all of us are working intensely on this.
Do you know what authorities will be present at the ceremony of the blessing of the church?
The official information will come at the appointed time, which I estimate will be in September.
The monarchs of Spain have already announced their intention to be at the Sagrada Familia Church, and we know it is the desire of the government of Spain and of the authorities of Catalonia. But we cannot now specify the exact names of the personalities who will attend.
How many people do you expect that day at Sagrada Familia and its surroundings?
I am not able to give these figures yet. However, inside the church there is room for between 7,500 and 8,500 people, depending on the degree of security that we give at the entrances and exits, which must be the highest.
Around the church there will be a device so that people will be able to follow the ceremony from the surroundings of the building.
We don't know how many people can come, but we are preparing for many.
We are organizing it so that those who wish to follow the ceremony up close can be placed in the best possible position.
There is a building very close to the church's main facade, but there are also two very large squares and an intersection of important avenues, so that there is considerable space for people.
At what stage is the work itself on the Church?
There will be many details to be attended to in the interior, because construction work generates dust. In this connection, we have reserved August to do some things, such as getting the organ ready, which must be done at a time when nothing is being built inside because silence is needed.
Once the interior is finished and the church is open for its specific functions, the completion of the entire church complex will continue according to Gaudi's plan, and this could take between 15 to 20 years.
Yet to be built are the towers of the evangelists, the main tower, which will be 172 meters (564 feet) high, and the four buildings of the nave, one on each side, where the sacristies and chapels of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be located. This is a project for the future generation.
Between the towers of the four evangelists and of Jesus Christ will be the tower of the Virgin, which will be higher than that of the evangelists but lower than that of Jesus Christ. The towers of the evangelists are already being built.
In what way is the construction of a tunnel near the church, through which a high-speed train [AVE, for Alta-Velocidad Espanola, the Spanish acronym for Spain's high-velocity train service] will pass, affecting or might affect the structure?
We have technical studies by very qualified people that state that the AVE project entails risks, mainly in two great areas.
First, the basement of the Holy Family is a geologically complicated terrain, and a transformation of the terrain could be generated that in the long run might mean a very significant displacement of the cathedral, which has great litheness and height.
Second, the vibrations from the trains could add to this risk.
Given these risks, we will try to speak with Spanish government authorities, after we all agree on the risks.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 21/07/2010 18:44]