The Vatican has put Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi on the way to Sveti in recognition of his “heroic virtues”.
Gaudí – which is called by some as “God's architect” – is the designer of one of Spain's most famous religious sites and tourist attractions, the unfinished Sagrada Familia basilia in Barcelona.
On Monday, the Vatican issued a statement stating that Pope Francis had authorized a decree declared a Catalonia -born architect as “Honest”.
This is an early step on the way to a candidate for a sanctuary officially canonized by the Catholic Church.
This is the latest development of a decades of campaign to have Gaudi, who was a pious Catholic recognized as a saint.
The Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Juan Jose Omela, called the news “joy”.
“This is a recognition not only of his architectural work, but also something more important,” he said, according to the AFP news agency.
The cardinal continued: “He tells you … against the background of the difficulties of life, against the background of work, against the background of pain, against the background of suffering, they are destined to be saints.”
The usual formal process of someone to be declared a saint will include a beating, one step from the full glow.
This is a category reserved for martyrs, those who are considered to have lived the life of heroic values and candidates, whom the church declares that there is a glowing reputation.
In the case of Gaudi, who died in 1926, after being hit by a tram while walking to church, the Vatican will probably require evidence of a miracle that can be attributed to him after death to continue the bunch.
Gaudi was born in 1852 and many of his most famous works continue to attract visitors to Barcelona, where much of his legacy is located.
The Basilica of Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1883 and remains unfinished.
It was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with some of Gaudi's other works and was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.