Bishop reiterates threat to resign in dispute over Spanish shrine
Bishop Ángel Pérez Pueyo threatens resignation if dispute over the Marian image at Torreciudad shrine is not resolved in his favor. A Vatican‑appointed commissioner settled the matter a year ago with an agreement largely favorable to Opus Dei, which the bishop has refused to accept. The agreement would keep Opus Dei in control of the shrine, have the bishop appoint a rector from an Opus Dei shortlist, and allow the image of Our Lady of Torreciudad to visit the original chapel twice a year. Pérez Pueyo rejects any solution that does not include the permanent return of the image to its original chapel. The Vatican has offered to transfer the bishop to a new diocese to avoid prolonging the conflict.
30 days ago
A six-year dispute between the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón and Opus Dei over the Torreciudad Marian shrine has intensified after Bishop Ángel Pérez Pueyo again said he would resign rather than accept a settlement that does not permanently return the image of Our Lady of Torreciudad to its original chapel. Vatican sources cited by The Pillar say a Vatican-appointed commissioner has reached a solution favorable to Opus Dei, but the bishop has rejected it. 1
Torreciudad has been administered by Opus Dei for decades. Although commonly described as a shrine, it was established under a 1962 agreement as a “semi-public oratory” intended for a particular community rather than as a formally designated diocesan shrine.
The site’s popularity grew to approximately 200,000 pilgrims annually, prompting both the diocese and Opus Dei to support formal recognition as a diocesan shrine while retaining Opus Dei’s spiritual care. Negotiations that began in 2020 later broke down over control of the site and the appointment of its rector. 1
The dispute became more contentious in 2023, when Bishop Pérez Pueyo appointed a new rector rather than allowing Opus Dei to propose a candidate, as had occurred since the newer shrine opened in 1975. 1
According to Vatican sources cited by The Pillar, Archbishop Alejandro Arellano, the Vatican-appointed commissioner, resolved the matter nearly a year ago. The reported agreement would:
The commissioner reportedly has authority to impose the decision without the bishop’s consent. The Vatican has instead sought a negotiated implementation and has discussed transferring Pérez Pueyo to another diocese, according to sources cited by the publication. 1
Pérez Pueyo has rejected solutions that do not include the image’s permanent return to the original chapel. In a letter dated Aug. 31, he said he could not approve an arrangement that would deprive Barbastro-Monzón of its “own Mother” or make her an occasional visitor from another location.
The bishop said that, if necessary, he would resign “out of loyalty” to the people of the diocese. He also said that Pope Francis had personally supported him and encouraged him not to yield. 1
Pérez Pueyo announced that the image would be taken to the original chapel for a Sept. 5 pilgrimage. The chapel is approximately a 15-minute walk from the present shrine, and the planned procession would mark the image’s first return there since the newer shrine was inaugurated. 1
The bishop’s Aug. 31 letter suggested that the image may have been removed from the original chapel without proper authorization. He said a diocesan review of parish and diocesan records had found no evidence that the move had been legally approved.
Opus Dei has responded by publishing a notarized affidavit concerning a 1966 agreement to transfer the image to the newer site. The document states that the move was approved by Bishop Jaime Flores, who was then bishop of Barbastro. 1
In July 2025, Pérez Pueyo proposed making Torreciudad an international shrine under Vatican control while granting Opus Dei full control of the shrine and the right to elect its rector. His proposal also called for the return of the Marian image and an old baptismal font from the cathedral.
The font has been located at Opus Dei’s headquarters in Rome since 1959, when it was given to Opus Dei founder St. Josemaría Escrivá. The article says the font had not previously been part of the dispute or included in earlier diocesan requests. 1
The Vatican’s reported efforts to secure the bishop’s acceptance of the commissioner’s decision have not succeeded. Sources close to the commission said Pérez Pueyo had refused both the proposed agreement and other options, including a possible transfer to another diocese. 1*
Does episcopal authority override Opus Dei’s control of Marian shrines?
Yes, in matters of ecclesial governance and pastoral oversight, the competent bishop’s authority prevails over any control exercised by Opus Dei. But this does not automatically mean that the bishop owns or directly administers every shrine associated with Opus Dei. The precise arrangement depends on the shrine’s canonical status, statutes, ownership, and any formal agreement.
A shrine is not simply a private devotional site. Canonical recognition belongs to the competent ecclesiastical authority:
The shrine’s statutes must specify its purpose, the rector’s authority, and the ownership and administration of its goods. The Church’s norms likewise state that canonical recognition requires approval by the appropriate authority.
Thus, the bishop is not merely a consultant regarding a diocesan shrine. He possesses the authority required for its canonical recognition and for regulating its pastoral life, subject to universal law and any higher-level jurisdiction.
Opus Dei is a personal prelature, not a territorial diocese. Its jurisdiction concerns principally:
That jurisdiction does not give Opus Dei a general power to govern sacred places within a diocese. The governing norms specifically require the diocesan bishop’s prior permission to establish an Opus Dei center, and they provide that responsibility for parishes, churches, rectories, and other ecclesiastical offices entrusted to the Prelature must be established by an agreement between the local ordinary and the Prelate or his vicars.
Therefore, Opus Dei cannot claim independent control of a Marian shrine merely because its priests serve there or because members helped establish or promote it.
Opus Dei could legitimately exercise substantial administrative or pastoral responsibility where:
In that case, Opus Dei’s authority would derive from the relevant ecclesiastical appointment, statutes, or agreement—not from the Prelature’s existence alone. Canon law expressly distinguishes the shrine’s governing authority from ownership and administration of its goods, all of which should be defined in the statutes.
The diocesan bishop ordinarily retains authority over matters such as:
The Church describes shrines as places where the Word of God is proclaimed, the Eucharist and Penance are celebrated, and sound popular devotion is cultivated. These are ecclesial and pastoral responsibilities, not matters that a religious association or personal prelature may remove from the competent ecclesiastical authority.
At the same time, the bishop must respect legitimate property rights and the specific legal arrangements governing the shrine. Episcopal authority is not a blanket power to confiscate privately owned property or disregard binding statutes and agreements. A dispute might therefore involve both ecclesiastical governance and civil or canonical property law.
Episcopal authority takes precedence over Opus Dei in the pastoral and canonical governance of a Marian shrine, unless the shrine is subject to a higher authority such as an episcopal conference or the Holy See. Opus Dei may administer a shrine only through lawful ownership, appointment, statutes, or agreement. It has no inherent right to control Marian shrines simply by virtue of being a personal prelature.