Bishop Ramón Valdivia, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, visited San Fernando to address the solemnity of Corpus Christi. His participation in an institutional event, related to one of the most deeply rooted religious festivals, generated great anticipation, filling the assembly hall of the island's City Hall and requiring additional chairs to accommodate the audience.
Mayor Patricia Cavada welcomed the bishop, while the local archpriest, Father Francisco Jesús Núñez, acted as presenter. During his 45-minute address, Bishop Valdivia proposed a five-step itinerary to fully experience Corpus Christi, which he described as 'the festival of faith in freedom' and 'the festival of eternity', highlighting God's closeness and the importance of personal response to the Eucharist.
“"The solemnity of Corpus Christi is therefore the festival of freedom, because everything that idols promise us, in the end, leads to the forgetting of God, because they substitute Him with power, success, pleasure, immediate satisfactions, or possessions, the consumerism of things."
The prelate emphasized that Corpus celebrates 'that the eternal has become concrete' in bread and wine, and warned against a faith 'with an expiration date'. He also highlighted the social commitment of Christians, urging them to 'be bread of life for the poor' and to replicate Christ's charity in their actions to be God's presence in the world.
In his conference, the bishop recalled examples of saints and martyrs, mentioning with special affection the local blessed Marcelo Spínola, known as the 'beggar archbishop'. The Corpus Christi events in San Fernando will continue with the Exaltation of the Eucharist, which this year will be held in the Iglesia Mayor Parroquial.
