Last Saturday, November 15, the parish of Santa María la Real de Sevilla held the “Eucharist in the land of welcome”, an event promoted by the ICHTHYS group (Cristianos LGBTI+H de Sevilla) and celebrated by the priest and Dominican friar Francisco Javier Rodríguez. The spectacle was the same one we have seen on repeated occasions—sometimes with more scandal than others—and which is nothing more than a complete liturgical abuse: a rainbow flag over the altar and people seated around in the presbytery. Among the attendees was José, a young man from the Orate group, who present themselves as a “Catholic organization that defends and promotes the Catholic identity and Tradition of Spain through faith, action, and public witness”.
In an interview given to the Argentine priest Fr. Javier Olivera Ravasi, on his YouTube channel “Que no te la cuenten”, José explains that this LGBT group has been in the parish for about ten years and carries out activities that, under all norms, are clear liturgical abuses. The young man recounts that it is a Mass in which people do not stand, everyone remains seated, including the priest, and in the prayer of the faithful, the floor was given to attendees to share their petitions. Among them—José mentions—one asked that more people could “come out of the closet” and that everyone feel loved by God, at no point was conversion called for.
An event with precedents
Days before, in the same parish, they had requested to celebrate a Requiem Mass for the young Falangists murdered by communism during the Civil War, an act that the religious community (Dominicans) initially accepted, but later decided to cancel considering it a political event.
Fr. Francisco Javier Domínguez, spokesperson for the Dominicans consulted by ABC Sevilla, assures that they never wanted to deny the Mass for the deceased. That said, he insists that it should be celebrated without “political demonstrations”. After seeing the public announcement, they canceled the event to avoid turning the temple into an ideological stage.
He also assures that the LGBT group that celebrated the Eucharist that day meets monthly in the temple for their “Land of Welcome” Mass, with the endorsement of the former archbishop, Juan José Asenjo. But of course, this is not an ideological scenario—does that make sense?—.
“You are a bunch of traitors”
José clarifies that, although he belongs to the Falange, he carried out this intervention because he is Catholic. In the video, which has spread rapidly on social media, the young man is seen declaring: “You are a bunch of traitors; the first one is you—pointing to the priest—, who is the one hosting this Mass, hosting sin. […] What you are doing is welcoming sin”. The priest—who apparently could not believe it—tries to correct him by alleging that he is against what Pope Francis has said about welcoming everyone.
In the interview given to Fr. Olivera, José clarifies that, at first, he had gone only to observe and know firsthand what they did in the “Welcome Mass”. However, he soon realized, upon hearing the homily, that it was simply a way of presenting “tolerance” toward homosexual life, without even warning of a guide to live in grace.
The young man reminded the priest of what any moderately formed Catholic knows: that the Catechism is clear regarding homosexual practice and that it cannot be presented as compatible with sacramental life without causing grave harm to souls. “You disregard what the Catechism says,” he affirmed. And the phrase, uncomfortable for some, is simply true.
The people, still seated in their seats, began to try to silence him by saying that he was in the house of God, that they were recording him, and that they were going to report him for a hate crime. The young man ended his spontaneous intervention by saying: “I truly hope, from the heart, that all of you convert, and the first one is you, who is the responsible one”.
A complaint to the Dicastery for Divine Worship
The ORATE organization has filed a formal complaint with the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and with the Archdiocese of Seville—which has not issued statements to date—, in which it exposes the liturgical abuses committed.
The document describes how the faithful were placed in chairs within the presbytery, how the priest celebrated the Eucharist seated in front of the altar, and how postures, gestures, and prescribed rubrics were omitted, altering the legitimate development of the celebration. It also points out that the Mass was presented as an act of “LGBTI+ welcome” and that the homily conveyed the idea that God tolerates behaviors contrary to Catholic morality, without any reference to the Church’s teaching on conversion and life in grace. Added to this is that the celebrant allowed spontaneous interventions in the Prayer of the Faithful, including petitions contrary to doctrine, and introduced arbitrary modifications in the Missal.
The complaint bases these facts on the right of the faithful to an authentic liturgy, on the priest’s duty to safeguard doctrinal integrity, and on the express prohibition of adding or altering liturgical elements. To do so, it refers to the norms of the Roman Missal, to Redemptionis Sacramentum, and to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Finally, ORATE requests that the facts be investigated, that the priest involved be instructed, and that it be ensured that in said parish the liturgy is celebrated in accordance with what the Church establishes.