The Church of Destruction against Torreciudad

 

The number of people attending the Day of the Families in Torreciudad, northeastern Spain, has dropped for the second year to less than half of what it was two years ago.

According to the Shrine, only 3,000 people attended this year's 32nd Day of the Families in Torreciudad.

The shrine, located in the north-east of Spain, was built under the influence of Monsignor Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, and was completed in 1975.

In July 2023, the Bishop of Barbastro-Monzón, Mons. Ángel Pérez Pueyo, created a huge and unnecessary conflict by appointing, for the first time, a rector of the Torreciudad shrine who was not a member of Opus Dei. Since then, the Day of the Family has been celebrated twice.

Some people claimed that the bad weather was the reason for the low turnout this year, but this is not true, writes InfoVaticana.com (23 September).

For months, bus trips had been organised from different provinces of Spain. Therefore, bad weather is not a sufficient reason to suspend these trips when they have already been prepared and paid for in advance.

The reality is that there are more and more people who do not want to see the Bishop of Barbastro at this event, since he is the one who caused the current mess.

Every year Torreciudad has invited a different bishop to celebrate the Day of the Family.

In 2022 the guest was the Bishop of Vitoria, Monsignor Juan Carlos Elizalde. Around 9000 people attended.

The previous year, Monsignor Mario Iceta, then Bishop of Bilbao, gathered around 8000 people.

For the first time since the outbreak of the unnecessary conflict in Torreciudad, a bishop [Mons. Ángel Pérez Pueyo] has presided two years in a row. His presence caused a dramatic drop in attendance.

Last year, the drop was significant, with 6,000 people attending (3,000 less than the previous year), and this year Pérez Pueyo has halved the negative record of the previous year.

During the Mass, however, the tone was one of "cordiality" and mutual compliments and flattery between Pérez Pueyo and the deposed Opus Dei rector of Torreciudad, Father Ángel Lasheras, whose name the bishop was unable to pronounce correctly during the Eucharist.

Picture: Torreciudad Sanctuary © wikicommons CC BY-SA, #newsOdioivzjzr