José Antonio Satué marks as a priority that village churches are in good condition before finishing the Cathedral. He rules out an auxiliary bishop and bets on the team of vicars.
The Bishop of Málaga, José Antonio Satué, has set as a priority of his mandate that village churches are in good condition before finishing the works on the Cathedral. He expressed this in an interview with Diario Sur as he marks one year at the helm of the diocese, a period during which he has made internal organisational decisions and started to understand the reality of the province.
Satué, born in Huesca in 1968, explained that during this first year he has found that Málaga is a more open society than he expected. He recounts that he recently went out cycling and a cyclist approached him to ask if he was the bishop and if he could accompany him to share some thoughts. "That kind of thing wouldn’t happen in the north," he noted, before adding that he is "enjoying it a lot" and that the welcome has been "very good".
When asked about the possibility of appointing an auxiliary bishop, he was emphatic: "No. It is not being considered at the moment." He justifies the decision by stating that the team of vicars has begun to function, which has provided him with "a significant relief" because many issues are resolved in the territory itself and do not reach the Bishopric.
Regarding internal problems within the Málaga Church, the bishop pointed out that there is "much potential, but little synergy". In his opinion, if parishes, brotherhoods, schools, and apostolic movements worked more closely together, "the message of the Gospel could reach further". To this end, he initiated the Pastoral vicariate, a cross-cutting instrument.
In relation to the abuses committed by members of the clergy, Satué explained that he wanted to first understand the reality, then there was a time of discernment with his collaborators, and once the first-instance ruling in the case of Father Fran was published, it is time to "learn from all this". He insisted on maintaining availability to listen to victims or anyone affected.
On promoting priestly vocations, he pointed out several keys: that Christian communities are aware that vocations come from families and parishes, that all Christians live "in a vocational key", and that care is taken of the clergy so that they are better trained and live the ministry "with more joy".
Regarding housing, he acknowledged that the Church's contribution is "rather modest": through Caritas and other institutions, they give voice to this reality and make available houses and apartments for vulnerable people. However, he emphasised that it is a structural problem that depends on decisions "at a high level".
Concerning the works on the Cathedral, the prelate indicated that this will possibly be the year when the tiles for the roof will start to be placed. His priority, however, is that the village churches are "perfect" before completing the main temple.
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