The Archbishop of Oviedo, Mons. Jesús Sanz Montes, has clearly defended his stance amid the social debate on immigration in Spain, emphasizing the importance of welcoming as a gesture of Christian solidarity, but also the need to propose sensible and reasoned responses to complex challenges.
In a public reflection in Religión Digital, titled “Simply, to my brothers”, Mons. Sanz explains that his role is to look at each person through the eyes of Christ, recognizing that immigrants are a blessing for the Church and society, and that their arrival offers opportunities for fraternity and spiritual, communal, and pastoral growth.
Welcoming from the Gospel
The archbishop recalls the words of the Gospel of Saint Matthew (“I was a stranger and you welcomed me”), which he considers a moral and spiritual mandate for every Christian community. From this basis, he affirms that welcoming must be generous, sincere, and open, especially toward those fleeing situations of violence, poverty, or religious persecution.
Mons. Sanz highlights that not only families arrive, but also vocations, seminarians, and priests from countries where religious freedom is limited or nonexistent, which—according to him—deeply enriches the life of the Church and manifests the universality of ecclesial communion.
A gaze that combines openness with prudence
Without renouncing a stance of openness, the archbishop advocates for an orderly and prudent welcoming, befitting a society that wants to be solidary without falling into simplistic or demagogic responses. “It is always desirable to open the doors and welcome as many as possible,” he writes, but warns against populist solutions that do not consider real limitations of space, resources, and social cohesion.
In this way, seeking to avoid relativisms that weaken the communal and constructive life of the Church, he promotes instead a welcoming policy that is stable and sustainable, that protects the dignity of immigrants and also transforms those who welcome.
A debate lived with pastoral responsibility
Mons. Sanz acknowledges that his words have elicited diverse reactions, including criticism from sectors that interpret his stance as restrictive compared to more open proposals. In his reflection, he calls for mutual respect within the Christian community, inviting people to listen and understand diverse perspectives without falling into polarizations or disqualifications.
His intervention seeks, from mercy and truth, to recognize the tragedy of many immigrants and, at the same time, to promote responses that strengthen social coexistence and the doctrinal unity of the Church.
A generous welcoming that transforms everyone
Mons. Sanz leaves no doubt about his Christian commitment to the most needy. For him, the Church cannot remain silent or absent in the face of society’s great issues. His invitation is for the Catholic community to reflect and act from a mature faith, that does not shy away from challenges, but addresses them with charity and wisdom, faithful to the evangelical mandate to love one’s neighbor.
In this sense, his call is not a denial of welcoming, but an invitation for it to be carried out with a great heart and a serene mind, always seeking the integral good of each person and of the entire society.