Why Pope Leo Chose Sagrada Família

Father Tony Lusvardi is a Jesuit priest, sacramental theologian, and professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. His work focuses on liturgy, the sacraments, Christian salvation, as well as the relationship between faith, culture and the modern world. He has served in Native American ministry, taught theology internationally, and written extensively on Catholic sacramental theology. In this conversation, he discusses Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and why it remains one of the most powerful expressions of Christian faith in the modern era. He explores how the basilica communicates the Christian story through architecture, nature, light, and symbolism, and why its vision of beauty continues to attract millions of visitors from around the world. Father Lusvardi also reflects on Gaudí’s response to secularization, industrialization, and anti-Catholicism, his conviction that technology should serve human flourishing, and the surprising relevance of his work in the age of artificial intelligence. The discussion examines Gaudí’s life, spirituality, possible sainthood, and the enduring message of hope embodied in the century-long construction of the Sagrada Família. Father Lusvardi's article for America Magazine: https://www.americamagazine.org/ideas... Guest bio: Father Tony Lusvardi, SJ, studied English and philosophy at the University of Notre Dame before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan. He entered the Society of Jesus in 2006 and was ordained a priest in 2017. After earning a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Atheneum of Saint Anselm in Rome, he published Baptism of Desire and Christian Salvation in 2024. He currently teaches sacramental theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and continues pastoral ministry in South Dakota. CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:31 The First Time You See Sagrada Família 00:04:36 Why It Feels Like Entering Another World 00:05:26 The Hidden Symbols Most Visitors Miss 00:07:44 The New Jerusalem in Stone 00:08:42 How Gaudí Encoded Christianity into a Church 00:11:10 What This Basilica Changed About Theology 00:14:46 Why Millions Feel Drawn to This Place 00:15:39 Can Beauty Bring People Back to Faith? 00:17:13 Gaudí's Warning for the Age of AI 00:22:15 Building the World's Tallest Church After Christendom 00:24:54 Why Pope Leo XIV Is Visiting Sagrada Família 00:29:55 Gaudí's Secret: Return to the Origins 00:35:33 The Tragic Death of Antoni Gaudí 00:42:54 Will Gaudí Become a Saint? 00:47:08 Gaudí's Message to the Modern World -- -- -- Subscribe to Vatican Access to receive new episodes, exclusive interviews, and special content delivered directly to your inbox at vaticanaccess.com. -- -- -- Follow Vatican Access on Social Media: 📌 Facebook: / vaticanaccess 📸 Instagram: / vaticanaccess 𝕏 Twitter/X: / vaticanaccess 🎵 TikTok: / vaticanaccess #Vatican #CatholicChurch #Evangelization #sagradafamilia #popeleo