Antoni Gaudi, the designer of Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia basilica, has been put on the path to sainthood by the Catholic Church, the Vatican announced Monday.

Gaudi, nicknamed “God’s architect” for his stunning work designing the unfinished Sagrada Familia, was recognized by Pope Francis for his “heroic virtues” and authorized a decree declaring him “venerable,” the Vatican said in a statement.

This acknowledgment comes before beatification, and the next step after that is sainthood.

Beatification is reserved for three categories of people: martyrs, those who have lived a life of heroic values and others with a clear saintly reputation.

Candidates must also be credited with a miracle after their death, at which point they can move toward becoming saints.

The Catholic Church began in 2003 to vet Gaudi, a visionary and pious Catalan architect who died in 1926.

Two decades later, in 2023, Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, commissioned a group of religious and lay people to press his cause.

Gaudi, who was born in 1852, was a prolific architect whose distinctive style was characterized by freedom of form, color and texture. He worked almost entirely in or near Barcelona. Seven properties built by Gaudi, including Parque Güell, Palacio Güell and the Sagrada Familia are named in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Gaudi was a devout Catholic and believed the church’s construction was his way to make amends with God for the sins of the modern world, “60 Minutes” reported. Construction of the basilica is expected to be completed in 2026, after more than a century.

The Sagrada Familia was consecrated in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, paving the way for its use as a place of worship.

At the time, Benedict praised “the genius of Antoni Gaudi…. (who), inspired by the ardor of his Christian faith, succeeded in transforming this church into a praise to God made of stone.”

The signing of the decree was the first official appointment on Francis’s agenda since the 88-year-old was discharged on March 23 following five weeks in hospital battling life-threatening pneumonia.

• Vatican City
• Spain