A Spanish bishop has reignited a longstanding dispute with Opus Dei over a Marian image, saying that he will resign if the revered icon is not  returned to its historical home.

Bishop Ángel Pérez Pueyo of Barbastro-Monzón, in Aragon, published a statement on Monday reiterating his position that Our Lady of the Angels of Torreciudad should be returned to its hermitage permanently.

He published the lengthy statement on the diocesan website ahead of a pilgrimage on Saturday that will see the image temporarily return to its original hermitage. He reaffirmed his commitment to fighting any attempts to remove the image from its traditional site.

“Rest assured that your pastor would never sign such an unlikely act of plundering your dignity. In such a case, I would offer my resignation out of loyalty to our people,” he said.

The bishop’s remarks are the latest in a long-running dispute between Opus Dei and the diocese, with the two disagreeing on both the status of the sanctuary and where the image should reside.

The bishop argues that the image should stay in its original hermitage where it was venerated for centuries. Over fifty years ago, it was moved to the current complex in Torreciudad, which is under the control of Opus Dei.

However, Pérez Pueyo disputes the legitimacy of that decision and said that “during these last few years, the diocese has gathered historical and legal documentation which, in our opinion, prevents us from considering the removal of the image from its hermitage as a voluntary renunciation by this town of its custody and its original place.”

“Before the current church, before the controversies, and before any of us, for more than a millennium this image was united to this land and its hermitage. And its authorized removal, in accordance with the law, is not recorded in the archives of either the Cathedral Chapter or the diocese,” he added.

“We are not asking for privileges. We are asking that the Mother remain in her eternal home, where she always was for more than a thousand years until she was taken away fifty years ago,” he said.

The bishop also pointed to the fact that Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, was taken to the original hermitage by his parents after his parents had prayed for his healing from a serious illness.

The dispute and Pope Francis’s involvement

The modern aspect of the dispute began in 2020 after Opus Dei requested the diocese recognise Torreciudad as a diocesan sanctuary under the 1983 Code of Canon Law. This would involve the establishment of a formal canonical framework for the sanctuary, as well as retaining aspects of the agreement from the 1960s.

However, Pérez Pueyo challenged parts of this agreement, particularly the idea that the image was lawfully handed over. A Pontifical Commissioner was appointed to mediate in October 2024. 

Instead, the bishop has asked that Torreciudad becomes an international shrine overseen by the Holy See and in his letter said that he wasn’t looking for any financial recompense. 

“We are not claiming the governance of the new church, nor its assets, nor its accounts, nor the entities or companies linked to its management. We have asked Pope Leo XIV to recognize Torreciudad as an international shrine directly dependent on the Holy See, and for the Holy See itself to oversee its economic and pastoral affairs,” he said.

The bishop also reiterated claims that the late Pope Francis had expressed his support for the bishop’s position. He said in July 2023, Francis wrote a letter to him saying “Don’t give in!” and in October 2024 he warned him of “mafia-like intrigues” taking place in the case.

There have been reports that the Vatican reached an agreement whereby the diocese would chose the rector of the sanctuary from a shortlist of people selected by Opus Dei. 

Opus Dei have not commented publicly on the bishop’s latest comments, although a source did tell Vida Nueva “we are awaiting a resolution.”

In a Q&A on the Opus Dei website, it says that in 1966, the then-bishop Monsignor Jaime Flores agreed that the image could stay in the new sanctuary, and there is a PDF of the notarial agreement.

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