The Spanish Episcopal Conference (SEC) will incorporate into its lines of action for the coming years the guidelines contained in the speeches and homilies delivered by Leo XIV during his visit to Spain, from June 6 to 12.
This was announced on Thursday by the SEC at the conclusion of the meeting of its Permanent Commission, held on September 29 and 30. The Commissions, Subcommissions, and offices of the SEC must update their respective lines of action, taking into account the implications that the Pontiff’s words may have in each of their areas.
The result of this work will be presented at the next Plenary Assembly, scheduled for November 16 to 20.
The pastoral lines were open to the Pope’s contributions
The incorporation of Leo XIV’s guidelines had been planned even before his trip. The president of the SEC, Msgr. Luis Argüello, explained during the inaugural address of the April Plenary Assembly that the pastoral lines for the 2026-2030 quadrennium, titled ¡Poneos en camino!, remained open to the words the Pope would address to the Church in Spain.
Following the June visit, these guidelines must now be translated into concrete actions by the various bodies of the Episcopal Conference over the next four years.
The SEC’s Publishing Service is also working on several editorial projects related to the trip. Among them are materials for “reading, conversing, and walking together after the Holy Father’s visit,” prepared by a working group of the Episcopal Conference and already presented to the Permanent Commission.
The review of synodal functioning will reach the Plenary
During the meeting, the SEC’s bishop referent for the Synod, Msgr. Francisco Conesa, also presented a series of proposals to review the “synodal way of proceeding” of the Episcopal Conference itself.
These are still initial proposals. The contributions of the bishops of the Permanent Commission will be incorporated before continuing their study at the Plenary Assembly.
Conesa also reported on the diocesan evaluation assemblies of the implementation phase of the Synod, following the indications published by the General Secretariat of the Synod last July.
This process will culminate in a Synodal Assembly of the Spanish Episcopal Conference during the second half of 2027, whose preparations will continue at the November Plenary.
Progress on the study of a lay ministry at the service of charity
The Permanent Commission also gave its approval to the document prepared on the possible creation of an instituted lay ministry at the service of charity, a proposal that had been presented at the Plenary Assembly last April.
The study was carried out jointly by the Episcopal Commissions for Evangelization, Catechesis and Catechumenate; for the Liturgy; and for Social Pastoral Care and Human Promotion.
The document will now go to the next Plenary Assembly. The SEC has not made public its content or the specific functions this potential ministry would have, so its creation has not yet been approved.
Revision of some texts of the Roman Missal
The Episcopal Commission for the Liturgy, chaired by Msgr. José Leonardo Lemos, presented a revision of the translation of the Roman Missal.
According to the SEC, the Commission’s secretariat carried out an “exhaustive review” that resulted in the improvement of some texts. The Permanent Commission gave its approval for the work to be presented at the November Plenary.
The communiqué does not specify which texts have been revised or detail the scope of the proposed modifications.
The bishops also approved the grants for projects of the diocesan schools for the 2026-2027 academic year and were informed of the balance of Marriage Week 2026 and the project planned for the next edition.
Assistance for Granada and Colombia
The Permanent Commission approved financial assistance to contribute to the rehabilitation of the churches damaged in Granada by the earthquakes last August.
It also agreed to collaborate in the reconstruction of the diocesan seminary of Pereira, in Colombia, which was rendered unusable after another earthquake. The Executive Commission will be responsible for determining the amount of this assistance.
A third financial allocation will go to the Kairós project, developed by the Pía J2R Foundation and which, according to the SEC, has the support of Leo XIV and the Episcopal Conference itself.
Finally, the Permanent Commission approved the agenda for the 130th Plenary Assembly, which will be held from November 16 to 20 and at which several of the matters addressed during this week’s meeting will continue to be processed.