Pope Francis has approved the first step towards sainthood for Antoni Gaudi, the modernist architect behind Barcelona's "Sagrada Familia" basilica, the Vatican said on Monday.
Gaudi was a pious man who worked for more than 40 years on the Sagrada Familia, the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church in the world, a UNESCO world heritage site, and one Europe's biggest tourist draws.
Francis approved a decree recognising Gaudi's "heroic virtues", the Vatican said in a statement.
For him to be beatified, the next step in the process of becoming a saint, a miracle would have to be attributed to Gaudi. After that, a second miracle would be required for him to be declared a saint.
Construction of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882, but the project, known for its soaring Gothic spires, remains unfinished even after Gaudi devoted the last 12 years of his life exclusively to the project.
It was meant to be completed by 2026, the centenary of the death of Gaudi, whom the Vatican's media outlet, Vatican News, has referred to as "God's architect".
The the target date was postponed indefinitely after the COVID-19 pandemic reduced tourist revenues used to fund construction.
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A commuter train derailed on Tuesday after a containment wall fell on the track due to heavy rain near the Spanish city of Barcelona, killing the driver and seriously injuring passengers, a fire brigade official said.
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Storms and rising seas are washing away Barcelona’s man-made beaches, putting tourism and coastal life at risk, according to residents in the area. In Montgat, locals say their summers by the sea are vanishing.
Thousands gathered in Barcelona and other Spanish cities to protest against the impact of mass tourism, accusing it of driving up housing costs and displacing residents.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
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The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
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