The Bishop Emeritus of Saltillo, in the Mexican state of Coahuila, Mons. Raúl Vera López, unleashed a controversy when concelebrating a mass at the end of August together with an Anglican minister, a violation of the canonical provisions that prohibit non -Catholics to intervene in the Eucharistic liturgy.
The diocese of Saltillo condemned the fact as a disciplinary offense and told ACI Press that the current bishop, Mons. Hilario González García, made a “fraternal correction” to Mons. Vera to make him see that “that concelebration should not have made it (because) does not represent an authentic ecumenical action.”
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He added that “it will correspond to the Dicasteria of the Divine Worship and the discipline of the Vatican’s sacraments to review the case.”
The origin of the controversy
The controversy arose on August 26, when Mons. Vera He presided over the Eucharist in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe de Saltillo with the Canadian minister Emilie Teresa Smith. During the celebration, Smith proclaimed the Gospel, collaborated in the homily, participated in the Eucharistic Prayer and raised the chalice during the consecration.
Smith is co -president of the Christian International Solidarity Service with the peoples of Latin America (SICSAL), an organization in which Mons. Vera also participates. The Reverend, recognized as an environmentalist and human rights defender, was in Coahuila on the way to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.
Bishop Vera: “It is a lack of discipline”
A day after the celebration, Bishop Emeritus answered local media questions in a Video that was broadcast on your Facebook page and defended himself from those who criticized him on social networks.
“It is not a sacrilege, it is a lack of discipline, a disciplinary absence, it is not a sacrilege, for God’s love, I was not going to make a sacrilege,” said the prelate.
In its publication, Mons. Vera defended the participation of the Anglican minister, arguing that “it is not only about ecumenism, but also being true sisters and brothers, not only with a narrative, but with actions of love and inclusion.”
“We are no longer in the hunting of witches and bonfires. The word of our sister Emilie gives us light, life and guide as the laudate does ask all the people of this planet,” he said in the text.
In the video, Bishop Vera said that the Anglican minister has an “excellent theological formation” and that her homily on August 26 was also “excellent.”
What does the Catholic Church say?
The Canon Law Code establishes in its canon 908 that “Catholic priests are forbidden to conceive the Eucharist with priests or ministers of churches or ecclesial communities that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church.”
For its part, Canon 844 recalls that “Catholic ministers can ligidately administer the sacraments only to the faithful Catholics, who can also receive them lly only only from Catholic ministers.”
During his ministry, Mons. Vera has been involved in different controversies for his positions in favor of abortion and LGTB organizations (lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals).
On one occasion, for example, he said that homosexuals “are the saviors of the Church” and celebrated masses with those groups. It also came to criticize Campaigns providing as “a hypocrisy”, and its support for groups such as the self -denominated Catholics for the right to decide (CDD) was shown.
Even the controversies led to the one called to the Vatican when he was the titular bishop to explain his procedure.
Diego López Colín
I am a graduate of journalism at the Carlos Septién García school with experience of religious institutional communication. Since 2016 I write for digital media and, since 2018, I report the most important news about the Catholic event in Mexico for the Ewtn news channel. ACI Press correspondent in Mexico since 2023.