Police Show How Sniffer Dogs Swept World's Tallest Church Before Pope Held Mass At Sagrada Familia

This is the moment sniffer dogs and their handlers sweep a soaring basilica corner by corner, hunting for anything suspicious before the leader of the Catholic Church arrived to lead Mass.

The footage was obtained from Spain's National Police in the city of Barcelona, in the Spanish region of Catalonia, on 10th June.

The video shows officers moving through the towering interior, with specialist dogs checking pews, pillars and hidden recesses as their handlers guide each search.

Spain's National Police said in a statement on 10th June: "To ensure your safety and that of Pope Leo XIV, we continue working in Barcelona. Today our canine agents and their handlers, along with the Subsurface and Environmental Protection Unit, have conducted a search in the Sagrada Familia. This is how they work."

The sweep came ahead of a Mass led by Pope Leo XIV inside the Sagrada Familia, the centrepiece of his week-long tour of Spain and the first papal trip to the country in 15 years, according to reports.

He blessed the highest spire of the structure, now the tallest church in the world at 172.5 metres (566 feet), after its central Tower of Jesus Christ was finished in February. Interior work on the structure is still ongoing.

The visit was timed to mark 100 years since the death of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who took charge of the project in 1883 and was struck by a tram on 7th June 1926 before passing away three days later on 10th June.

Tens of thousands of people were present in the surrounding streets, with roads shut and heavy security due to the attendance of the Spanish royal couple and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, according to reports.

(Joe Golder/Clipzilla/NX)