I’m not religious, so I didn’t think I’d ever have a favourite church, but to explain, I’ll need to start at the beginning.
I saw quite a few churches in Spain. I admire the beauty of church architecture, but I can’t help but think that the money would be better spent elsewhere.
Ten years ago, I saw the Vatican, ticked it off the list, and now it’s done. Did I like it? Absolutely not. Gold, marble statues, floor-to-ceiling paintings. The place made me sick, especially when there were beggars and homeless right outside the doors.
My understanding of the purpose of religion is the faith and belief in something bigger than yourself.
But when I look at the places of worship, I see power, money and status—the opposite of equality and equity.
First Church - Toledo
Church 2 - Seville (I did not go inside this one)
Cordoba - Mosque turned Cathedral (because the Christians took it over)
Barcelona - One of the biggest and longest church builds (140 years and counting) and my favourite church.
Antoni Gaudi is Barcelona’s most famous architect. He designed the Sagrada Familia (located in modern Barcelona), Parc Guell, and Casa Batllo, to name a few. His death at age 73 was premature and preventable. Because he was so devoted to his work, Gaudi dressed modestly and, to many, appeared homeless. While out for a walk, he was hit by a moving vehicle (car or tram) but was left on the side of the road because he was “just a homeless person.” It took a passerby to call the police because two taxis previously refused to take him to the hospital so Gaudi could be transported to the hospital. However, he didn’t receive adequate care until the following day because he had no identification. By then, it was too late, and Gaudi died 3 days after the accident.
The Sagrada Famaila was planned to be completed by the centenary of Gaudi’s death in 2026; however, COVID-19 delayed the building. The new goal is to complete the tallest tower by 2026, with the rest completed by 2030-3035.
Santa Maria Church
Santa Maria was built by the community for the community. They rallied together to make a large church to hold their whole community. Men carried the stones on their backs, and the community worked together to fund and build the church.
A strong, supportive community is worth more than any building made of gold, silver, bronze, marble, sculptures, or paintings. Although the community behind Santa Maria may not have been the richest, biggest, or most talented, it possessed the three basic human psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (with the people, for the people). This is why it is my favourite church that I saw in Spain.