The Bishop of Zamora, Mons. Fernando Valera, has received the Anointing of the Sick before undergoing back surgery this coming Wednesday due to a stenosis that will keep him away from his pastoral duties for at least a month.
According to details in a statement made public this Tuesday, the immediate effect of this circumstance has been the suspension of the pastoral visit to the archpriesthood of Aliste-Alba, which brings together 84 parishes of the Zamora diocese.
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“Saddened by having to postpone what is an event for the parishes and for the pastor himself, he has communicated to his faithful that he wishes to offer this situation of vulnerability for all the people of God and the diocese of Zamora, for the sanctity of vocations. , by the diocesan seminaries and by the clergy,” explains the text released by the diocese.
The Bishopric recalls, quoting the words of Pope Francis, that in the Anointing of the Sick that the prelate received on Monday afternoon, “it is the Lord himself who suffers, pouring the oil of consolation on his wounds.”
Thus, Bishop Valera has received “the spiritual accompaniment of Christ in this moment of operation and rehabilitation”, since it is “a sacrament full of hope, which provides comfort, healing and spiritual preparation.”
“The Church, through this rite, accompanies the sick, reminding them that Christ is present in their suffering and that the grace of God strengthens them in their moments of greatest weakness,” adds the diocese.
“The diocese of Zamora suffers with its pastor, while trusting in the hands of God its speedy recovery,” the statement concludes.
Mons. Fernando Valera was born in Bullas (Murcia, Spain) in 1960 and trained at the San Fulgencio Seminary of the Diocese of Cartagena. After completing his Theology studies in Granada and after the diaconate stage, he was ordained a priest in 1983.
He has a degree in Philosophy from the University of Murcia and a Doctor in Theology from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas.
As a pastor, he has developed his activity in various parishes in the Diocese of Cartagena and as a missionary priest for a year in Bolivia. He has also taught classes in various institutions and has served as spiritual director of the major and minor seminaries of the Diocese of Cartagena.
Pope Francis appointed him bishop on October 30, 2020. He was consecrated and took possession of the Diocese of Zamora on December 12 of the same year.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.