Last Sunday, November 16, several hundred faithful attended the Valle de los Caídos to pray the rosary in defense of the basilica, the Benedictine community, and the inviolability of temples. The event, spontaneously convened by laypeople, brought together Catholics from various parts of Spain, who prayed before the Cross and the image of Our Lady of Pity.
The call was mainly spread on social networks and, according to those present, attendance far exceeded expectations. Many participants had attended the previous 11:00 Mass before moving to the esplanade for the public recitation of the rosary.
“No association organized it: this initiative comes from the faithful”
In a statement released after the event, José Andrés Calderón, one of the conveners, explained that the initiative does not come from any platform, collective, or association, but from individual Catholics: “The rosary last Sunday was not organized or promoted by any organization. It was ordinary Catholics who decided to make a call to all Spaniards”, he states in a clarifying note on his X account.
Calderón emphasizes that the intention is to pray for Spain, for the Church, and for the defense of the Valley against threats of “profanation” and political pressure on the basilica and the Benedictine community. Prayers were also offered for Pope Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals, recalling that the concordats signed by the Holy See recognize the inviolability of temples in Spain.
Tension at the accesses: closure of entrances and fines to the faithful
The day was marked by incidents that have caused discomfort among the attendees. According to the statement, Patrimonio Nacional and agents of the Guardia Civil prevented entry to the grounds from 11:00, leaving dozens of cars outside the Valley. Several faithful reported receiving fines and deduction of points from their driver's license for trying to access the place to attend Mass or pray the rosary.
The organizer described the situation as “lamentable” and denounced that many Catholics were treated as offenders simply for wanting to pray in a sacred enclosure. Despite this, he highlights that the faithful maintained calm and the silence proper to the religious act.
The statement from the Benedictine community: “The rosary cannot be used for any other purpose”
In the days prior to the event, the Benedictine community of the Valle de los Caídos issued a statement addressed “to the faithful and the organizers”, in which it clarified that the announced gathering for November 16 had not been authorized by the abbey. The monks recalled that, according to the custom of the basilica, the holy rosary is prayed every Sunday at 10:30, before the 11:00 Mass, and that after the 13:00 Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for Eucharistic adoration.
The community earnestly asked that the faithful refrain from occupying the outer entrance of the temple, stating that the rosary “cannot be used for any purpose other than the glory of God and the salvation of souls”. At the same time, they invited everyone to join the rosary prayer inside the basilica and the usual Sunday Eucharistic adoration.
Calderón expressed his bewilderment at the statement and regretted that the abbey did not issue similar statements when the Valley suffered political actions or when its integrity was violated by radical acts. This criticism, he maintains, arises from the concern of numerous Catholics who perceive that the defense of the Valley today falls mainly on the laity.
A new call for November 23
After the massive attendance on November 16, the organizers—again, individual Catholics without an associative structure—have called for a new rosary on Sunday, November 23. The appointment will be at 12:15 on the basilica's esplanade, after the 11:00 Mass, according to the announcement spread on social networks.
The call insists that the defense of the Valle de los Caídos is a spiritual responsibility of Catholics, not a partisan act. For its promoters, only persevering and visible prayer will be able to protect an enclosure that they consider sacred and today threatened by political decisions that affect its identity and religious freedom.