The facts presented in the article are relevant and could, to a greater or lesser extent but certainly in some way, affect Mazuelos’s credibility for the remaining years of his tenure as Bishop of the Canary Islands. Unless he knows that this stage has already come to an end and is unconcerned about what his clergy in the Canaries may think of him once they cease to be his clergy.
And that can only be due to two reasons: either becoming emeritus, due to illness or other causes, even if we do not know what those causes are, or a promotion or transfer to another diocese.
The vacancies—Astorga, Teruel, and Osma-Soria—would not seem like a promotion but rather a reprimand. They already have their bishops past retirement age, so their resignations could be accepted at any moment: Barcelona, Cuenca, Mallorca, Cádiz, and Segorbe-Castellón. Barcelona would be far too much and well beyond his capabilities. For Mallorca, the Bishop of Menorca seems far more suitable, and if not him, then the Bishop of Ibiza. Cuenca and Menorca or Ibiza, if that were the case, would also look like a dismissal. So, if a transfer had been communicated to him, Cádiz would be the obvious choice, and I suppose he would be very pleased about it.
In Barcelona, the rumors point to Seville and Pamplona. The first is undoubtedly the perfect candidate if he were to accept. He is happy in Seville and knows the Barcelona hornet’s nest perfectly well. I do not know what qualities they see in the Bishop of Pamplona. Some have also mentioned the Bishop of Toledo for Barcelona. If I do not know the qualities of the one from Pamplona, those I do know of the current Primate completely rule him out. If he has made mistakes in Toledo, one cannot expect any success from him in Barcelona.
And if Saiz Meneses were to go to Barcelona, the best candidates for Seville would undoubtedly be the Archbishop of Burgos—if, as I am told and hope, he has recovered his health—and the Archbishop of Oviedo. Both would be excellent. Santiago is a disaster. Valladolid and Mérida-Badajoz are on the verge of resignation. Valencia and Seville are interchangeable, so a change would be absurd. And it would be better to leave the one from Granada where he is. We have already discussed the one from Toledo.
Nor is it necessary for Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville to be succeeded by an archbishop. Omella and Cobo were not, and neither was Saiz Meneses.