The Permanent Commission of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (SEC) will hold its 273rd meeting on June 22 and 23 at the institution’s headquarters in Madrid. The agenda is shaped by the recent apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Spain and by various matters related to the life of the Church in the country.
One of the main items on the agenda will be the assessment of the Holy Father’s trip, which took place from June 6 to 12. The bishops who are members of the Commission will devote part of their work to reflecting on the development of the visit and its pastoral and ecclesial impact.
The meeting will also address other current issues affecting the Church in Spain, including the reception of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, published by Pope Francis in 2016 following the synods dedicated to the family.
Reflection on Amoris Laetitia
The bishops will discuss the reception of this document in the Spanish dioceses, almost a decade after its publication.
The apostolic exhortation addressed issues related to marriage, the family, and the pastoral accompaniment of people living in complex family situations. Since its promulgation, the text has been the subject of various pastoral initiatives in the particular Churches and has sparked numerous theological and pastoral debates in different countries.
The Permanent Commission will devote part of its sessions to exchanging impressions on its application and development in the Spanish ecclesial context.
Report on hate crimes
Another scheduled matter is the presentation of the report on hate crimes in Spain for the year 2025.
The documentation will be presented by the Office for Religious Freedom, which will convey to the members of the Permanent Commission the data and analyses compiled on this phenomenon during the past year.
The issue of religious freedom and the protection of fundamental rights has occupied a prominent place in various works of the Spanish Episcopal Conference in recent years.
Evaluation of the synodal process
The bishops will also receive information on the diocesan assemblies held to evaluate the implementation phase of the Synod.
These meetings are part of the process promoted by the Church to strengthen the participation and co-responsibility of the faithful in ecclesial life, as well as to assess the initiatives developed in the different dioceses following the conclusion of the universal phase of the Synod on Synodality.
Meeting of Mediterranean Bishops
The Permanent Commission also plans to appoint the representative of the Spanish Episcopal Conference for the organization of the next Meeting of Mediterranean Bishops.
Among the administrative matters is also the approval of the calendar of meetings of the Commission for the coming year.
The agenda will be completed with reports from the various episcopal commissions, the follow-up of economic and organizational issues, as well as the usual chapter dedicated to appointments.