Feast of Saint James no longer holy day of obligation in one Spanish diocese. What will become of Spain when she no longer celebrates her patron saint?

The Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, Msgr. José Ignacio Munilla, has decreed a dispensation from the precept of participating in Holy Mass on July 25, the feast day of Saint James the Apostle, patron saint of Spain. This measure means that the faithful of the diocese will not be obliged to attend the Eucharist on one of the most significant liturgical feasts in the Spanish calendar.

The reason given in the decree, signed on July 11, is that the Valencian Community's work calendar does not consider this day a holiday, which "could cause difficulties" in fulfilling the precept. As a result, the diocese has opted to dispense with the obligation rather than propose alternatives to facilitate liturgical participation.

Have all pastoral options been exhausted?

One wonders whether other measures might have been possible to maintain the celebratory dimension of the day, even within the limitations of the work context. For example, the organization of Masses at adapted times—at dawn, at noon, or at dusk—brief liturgical breaks in pastoral centers, or even livestreams of special celebrations for those unable to attend in person.

Pastoral creativity is not at odds with prudence, and Bishop Munilla himself has demonstrated on numerous occasions a remarkable capacity for communication and action in digital environments. Precisely for this reason, it is surprising that, on a solemnity of national significance, the diocese has not made a more visible and coordinated effort to sustain the liturgical dimension of the day.

Between recommendation and omission

The decree encourages the faithful to participate, if possible, in some liturgical celebration or act of devotion. However, since it is not accompanied by specific measures or concrete planning, the invitation is relegated to the realm of individual initiative, without structural support from the diocese.

This approach could lead to the normalization of the omission of public worship, especially in a social context where religious practice is already suffering from a progressive invisibility. The fact that this relaxation occurs, moreover, on the solemnity of the patron saint of Spain adds a worrying nuance in symbolic and ecclesial terms.

A decision that raises fundamental questions

Beyond the content of the decree, the episcopal decision questions the pastoral attitude toward the demands of the civil calendar. Throughout its history, the Church has known how to respond with imagination and firmness to contexts much more hostile than the current one. Therefore, the immediate abandonment of mandatory celebration, without exploring other avenues, could be interpreted as a form of pastoral surrender.

Nor is there any diocesan coordination to guide parishes in scheduling celebrations, leaving it to the discretion of each community. This organizational dispersion could lead to an uneven and low-profile celebration, with little impact among the faithful.

A liturgical opportunity that could have been seized

The feast of St. James the Apostle represents a privileged opportunity to strengthen the sense of ecclesial and national belonging, especially at a time when the public dimension of faith faces multiple challenges. Although work circumstances are a legitimate obstacle, this does not prevent—and in fact would require—a proportionate, courageous, and creative pastoral response.

This year, however, the solemnity of St. James will go unnoticed in the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante, at least from the perspective of liturgical precept. A legitimate decision, yes, but one that leaves open several questions about how to exercise episcopal leadership in a context that requires clarity, conviction, and concrete proposals

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