Opus Dei denies allegations of illegal possession of Torreciudad statue

Opus Dei has issued a statement denying allegations of illegal possession or usurpation regarding the statue of Nuestra Señora de Torreciudad. The organization responded to claims made by the Bishop of Barbastro-Monzón, Ángel Pérez Pueyo, who had used terms such as ‘expolio’ (plunder) to describe the absence of the image from its original hermitage.

Opus Dei maintains that the veneration of the image at the Torreciudad pilgrimage center is based on a 1962 agreement with the previous bishop, Jaime Flores. Under this agreement, the statue was ceded in perpetuity in exchange for the organization's commitment to restore the image and promote its cult. The group criticized the bishop's accusations as offensive and unfounded, while acknowledging that there may be differing legal interpretations of the historical agreements.

The dispute follows reports regarding the role of Vatican commissioner Alejandro Arellano and calls for the Holy See to designate Torreciudad as an international sanctuary to increase oversight of its finances and pastoral activities.