Priest José Luis Pastor will take possession as the new territorial vicar of Melilla on September 19, in a celebration scheduled for 8:30 p.m. at the Church of the Sacred Heart. The 50-year-old priest from Málaga will join the new team of priests responsible for serving the six parishes of the Autonomous City, which belongs ecclesiastically to the Diocese of Málaga.
Pastor explained that he received the appointment unexpectedly and that same day traveled to Melilla accompanied by his brother to personally get to know his new destination. During the first days of August, he returned to the city to establish new contacts and become familiar with his pastoral reality before joining permanently.
A new team for the six parishes
The September 19 installation will affect the new team of priests assigned to serve the parishes of San Francisco Javier, Santa María Micaela, San Agustín, Sagrado Corazón, Medalla Milagrosa, and Purísima Concepción, in addition to other pastoral responsibilities.
Among the objectives outlined by the new vicar is advancing the organization of diocesan structures in Melilla and maintaining coordination with Málaga, given that both territories belong to the same diocese.
«I go with a spirit of service and a desire to unite efforts so that the Church of Melilla identifies as the Church of Melilla, not in my person, but all united,» Pastor stated in an interview published by the diocese.
The priest also considers it necessary to maintain the existing relationship between the Catholic Church and the other religious denominations present in the Autonomous City.
Obedience to the new destination
Pastor acknowledges that he did not expect the appointment. During the last four years, he has been assigned to the parish of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores in Puerto de la Torre, Málaga, after previously serving in Antequera and Ronda.
For 17 years, he also served as archpriest. According to him, the last few years were the first in which he was not simultaneously holding a diocesan position.
When asked about the possibility of having rejected the new destination, he responded that his decision falls within the obedience proper to priestly ministry.
«Of course, in life one can refuse everything, but the same obedience that brought me to the parish of los Dolores is what takes me to Melilla; it’s that simple,» he noted.
In 2027, Pastor will complete 25 years of priesthood, an anniversary he will celebrate in his new destination.
«It is not about being a democracy»
The interview also addressed the application of the synodal process in Melilla. Pastor expressed his interest in learning about the reflections developed in the city during the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality.
«It is not about being a democracy but about walking together, as the People of God, toward a common horizon,» he stated.
The new vicar linked synodality to the «conversation in the Spirit» and other methods such as «see, judge, and act,» although he emphasized that this approach must translate into concrete tasks in ecclesial life.
«It is not about remaining in talking about synodality but about being available for the tasks that are necessary,» he added.
The succession of Eduardo Resa
Pastor will replace Eduardo Resa as territorial vicar, highlighting the work carried out in recent years and the difficulties he has faced due to health problems.
«He has suffered greatly in these last years. He is a man of God who has known how to be present and has done what he had to do,» Pastor affirmed, describing his predecessor’s work as «wonderful.»
The new vicar also highlighted Melilla’s unique character due to the presence and coexistence of different religious communities. After his first visits, he described a city marked by contrasts and by «interculturality and the coexistence of the four religions.»
As of September 19, Pastor will formally assume the new territorial responsibility alongside the team of priests assigned to the parishes of Melilla.