The cathedral of La Laguna experienced a unique Canarian assembly on Thursday, May 1. This was not merely due to the decision made on February 24, but because of the numerous attendees from the church, including the nuncio of the Pope in the European Union, nineteen bishops, and over 260 priests. Even if it were not for Francisco’s passing, the cardinal ROLANDAS MAKRICKAS, who is a personal friend of the new prelate of Tenerife, was engaged in the affairs of the day.
From seven in the morning until three in the afternoon, parking was prohibited in the streets surrounding the pedestrian area. The reason cited was the “Celebration of Bishop 2025 ordination“, as indicated on signage. The first to arrive were members of the National Police at seven o’clock, who meticulously checked each arch for security. An hour later, volunteers assembled, and the priests gathered at the capitular houses to store their belongings before heading to the bishopric, where the procession commenced at half past ten towards the cathedral. The celebration itself began at eleven and lasted three hours.
It resembled a San Juan de Ávila, carried out in a Canarian fashion, with priests from both dioceses – including the bishop of Canaria, José Mazuelos; his assistant, Cristóbal Déniz, and the emeritus, Francisco Cases; along with the attendance of priests from various denominations including the Romanian Orthodox Church, two from the Russian Church, three Anglicans, and one from the Syrian Church, along with representatives from the Scandinavian and Russian communities established in Adeje. Among them were three Anglican priests, one adorned with a stole that appeared to feature an LGTBI flag.
The procession marked clear distinctions. With Alba were the seminarians and priests; with Casulla, the College of Consultants and Canons; and with more elaborately embroidered casuls were the archbishops of Seville and Malabo along with the Bishops, while Eloy Santiago traversed the assembly clad in Purple and Bonete Sotana.
“You are eating, as I will greet people”
Sixty-six days had passed since Eloy Santiago was designated bishop of Tenerife, and everything was meticulously arranged for the concluding instructions at the end of his ordination and induction as the head of the diocese. Grace’s commission was in charge of the miter and the ring, which rested on the sacristy table until the ordination.
The bishops and the prelate’s family proceeded to dine at the Gran Hotel Laguna, where Don Eloy commented:
“You eat, I will greet people”
The sole administrator of the diocese, Antonio Pérez Morales, showcased his organisational capability among the younger attendees, overseeing forty-nine volunteers, clad in reflective vests marked with “organisation,” who dispersed from Plaza del Adelantado to manage the arrival of the twenty-three guaguas coming from Alcalá, Los Gigantes, Puerto Santiago, and Cueva del Dust, en route to the cathedral.
The organisation even sought a weather forecast from Edgar Cedrés, a 25-year-old specialist in Tegueste, who alerted that pleasant weather would shift around noon. True to the forecast, it did not rain, with only two bottles of water requested from the thousands prepared in case the sunny Lanzarote weather graced the occasion. A gathering of 1,200 individuals was present inside the temple, while more than 1,800 gathered outside with as many hand-programmes as seats. Screens were set up, along with excellent audio equipment that allowed everyone to follow the ceremony as if seated in the front row. The voices of Alexis Hernández and the informative cathedral dean, Juan Pedro Rivero, resonated throughout.
“You are eating, as I will greet people”
Before the ceremony commenced, while the representatives of consecrated life waited patiently, other guests captured the moment with selfies. Among the local officials, the first deputy mayor of La Laguna, Fran Hernández, and the Councilor for Culture, Badel Arbelo, discussed the expected duration of the celebration: “Julian (the President of Orfeón La Paz until May) mentioned they had prepared thirty pieces.” They estimated… three minutes per song, totaling one and a half hours of music alone, which was half of the event’s length.
Among the attendees was a significant builder arriving with security, while the nationalist Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canarian government, hastened through Plaza del Adelantado alone to reach the Cathedral, where he met the mayor of La Laguna, the socialist Luis Yeray Gutiérrez. Beside him was the vice president of the regional government, the popular Manuel Domínguez. In a corner, the architect José Miguel Márquez Zárate, who was pivotal in rehabilitating several churches, including the Cathedral itself, which had remained closed for renovations from 2002 to 2014, observed quietly. The commissioner of transparency and access to public information of the Canary Islands, Noelia García Leal (PP), appeared in a pink jacket and matching accessories amidst the sea of cassocks and dark suits.
Great care was taken for the family of the new prelate, who sat in the front rows, near the chapel of remedies, amongst personal friends.
At the cathedral’s entrance, Don Eloy’s parishioners joined in hearty applause during the ordination and were nearly elated when he emerged to greet them, miter and staff in hand.
“I sincerely hope that all this effort will yield at least ten or twelve significant outcomes,” remarked the outgoing diocesan administrator, knowing that the new bishop of Tenerife appears destined for greater responsibilities.
