The priest Lluís Bonet Armengol, rector for 25 years of the Sagrada Familia parish in Barcelona and vice-postulator of the cause for the beatification of Antoni Gaudí, passed away this Friday, August 7, at the age of 95, according to the Archdiocese of Barcelona. The priest was linked for decades to the basilica and to the promotion of the Christian dimension of the life and work of the Catalan architect.
Bonet served as rector of the Sagrada Familia parish from 1993 to 2018. His connection to the basilica also had a family component: he was the son of architect Lluís Bonet i Garí, a disciple and contemporary of Antoni Gaudí, and brother of Jordi Bonet i Armengol, who for years led the construction works of the basilica.
During the 25 years in which he served as rector, Bonet accompanied a period of significant progress in the construction of the Sagrada Familia and simultaneously developed his work related to Gaudí’s cause.
Vice-postulator of the cause of Antoni Gaudí
In 1998, Lluís Bonet was appointed vice-postulator of the cause for the beatification of Antoni Gaudí, whose process had begun at the diocesan level in 1994.
From this responsibility, he participated in the investigation into the life and faith of the architect and promoted various initiatives aimed at spreading his Christian dimension. Among them is the Gaudí collection, dedicated to compiling testimonies and studies about his life, work, and faith.
The cause has advanced since then to the recognition of the architect’s heroic virtues. In April 2025, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing these virtues, making Gaudí considered venerable by the Church.
His meeting with Leo XIV two months before his death
One of Lluís Bonet’s last public appearances took place precisely on June 10, during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Barcelona on the occasion of the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death.
The priest participated in the Mass celebrated at the Sagrada Familia. According to the Archdiocese of Barcelona, at the end of the celebration the Pope approached to greet him and they exchanged a few words.
The celebration was part of the events organized around the centenary of Gaudí and took place in the basilica where Bonet had been rector for a quarter of a century.
He donated his body to science
The Archdiocese of Barcelona has also reported that Lluís Bonet had donated his body to science. For this reason, the funeral will not be held at this time. A diocesan and parish celebration in his memory is scheduled for September.