The visit of Leo XIV to Spain will leave the image of a Pope celebrating the solemnity of Corpus Christi outside Rome. However, several Spanish bishops have decided to remain in their dioceses to preside over the local celebrations of one of the most important feasts in the liturgical calendar, a decision that reflects the deep roots this solemnity maintains in numerous particular Churches.
While numerous bishops will take part in the Mass that the Pontiff will celebrate this Sunday in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, others have considered it a priority to accompany the faithful of their respective dioceses in the traditional Corpus celebrations.
Valencia celebrates the 700th anniversary of its historic Corpus feast
The Archbishop of Valencia, Enrique Benavent, will preside over the pontifical Mass in Valencia Cathedral and will later take part in the traditional Eucharistic procession through the streets of the historic center.
This year Valencia commemorates the 700th anniversary of the celebration of Corpus Christi in the city, a feast popularly known as the festa grossa and considered one of the most emblematic religious expressions in the Valencian calendar.
Galician bishops will accompany their faithful in the solemnity
The bishops of Tui-Vigo and Mondoñedo-Ferrol will also remain in Galicia to preside over the diocesan celebrations.
Antonio Valín will lead the solemn Mass and the subsequent procession through the streets of Vigo, while Fernando García Cadiñanos will take part in the youth vigil with the Pope in Madrid, but will return to his diocese to celebrate Corpus both in Mondoñedo and in Ferrol.
In Cadiñanos’s case, the bishop will later return to Madrid to continue accompanying the Holy Father for the rest of his visit to Spain.
Other prelates have adjusted their schedules to be with the Pope
The presence of Leo XIV in Madrid has led numerous dioceses to reorganize timetables and celebrations to facilitate their bishops’ participation in this extraordinary event.
Some prelates have moved the planned events forward or backward, while others have chosen to combine both responsibilities. This is the case of the Bishop of Vitoria, Juan Carlos Elizalde, and the Bishop of Cuenca, José María Yanguas, who will attend the morning celebration presided over by the Pope in Madrid and will later return to their dioceses to preside over the Corpus celebrations in the afternoon.
A sign of the vitality of the particular Churches
The coincidence of the papal visit and the solemnity of Corpus Christi has forced many bishops to make exceptional pastoral decisions. Far from being interpreted as an absence from the Pope, the decision of some prelates to remain in their dioceses reflects the importance this feast continues to hold in numerous Spanish cities, where Eucharistic processions remain among the most significant moments of annual religious life.
Source: Religión Confidencial