Bishop Jesús Fernández of Córdoba says confusion among authorities kept priests from giving last rites after Spain’s Adamuz train tragedy.
Newsroom (28/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) A week after Spain was shaken by one of its deadliest railway disasters in recent memory, Bishop Jesús Fernández of Córdoba has spoken publicly about the “confusion” that, he said, stopped priests from giving last rites to victims at the scene.
The collision occurred on January 18 in the southern province of Córdoba, when a high-speed train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and crashed into a second train heading toward Huelva. The disaster killed at least 45 people and left 152 others injured, casting a shadow of grief across the nation.
A Moment of Chaos and Misunderstanding
According to Bishop Fernández, priests who rushed to offer spiritual comfort were prevented by authorities from ministering to the dying.
“They thought the dead were already dead and something could be done for the living,” he explained. “This lack of understanding could have caused the confusion, which caught us all somewhat off guard.”
The bishop described the aftermath as “a moment of such confusion, to which neither we nor the authorities are accustomed.” Eyewitnesses recalled the desperate search for survivors among mangled carriages, emergency crews battling fire and debris, and the stunned silence that followed.
Community Response and Compassion
In the small town of Adamuz, near the crash site, the parish of San Andrés became a makeshift refuge. Parishioners and volunteers prepared food, offered blankets and heaters, and transformed the church into a center of care for survivors and families.
Fernández praised their efforts. “The people of Adamuz made an impressive effort, which has also helped those of us who were not there in the first moment,” he said at Sunday’s funeral Mass, calling the night of the crash “dark and tragic,” one that filled “families with sorrow and all of Spain with dismay.”
Urging resilience and unity, the bishop called on the faithful “to continue praying and being close to all those who suffer,” stressing that love must rise above “ideological, cultural, political, and religious boundaries.”
Consolation Amid Spiritual Questions
To those questioning faith in the face of such suffering, Fernández offered a stark reassurance. “God was there,” he said. “In the emergency services, the doctors, the psychologists, the priests, the security forces, and the political leaders. God was in the good Samaritans who lifted the injured from the rubble and cared for them.”
His words resonated across Spain, a largely Catholic nation mourning under the weight of tragedy and searching for meaning in faith and community.
Dispute Over a Secular Tribute
As grief turns to anger, controversy has erupted over a government-led tribute planned for this weekend. Families of several victims objected to the ceremony’s secular format and refused to attend, prompting officials to postpone it.
“Who are you to dictate how they want the funeral to be?” asked María del Mar Fadón, whose brother died in the crash. “I don’t want to share any time or space with my brother’s murderers.”
Another relative appeared on the talk show En Boca de Todos, insisting that a secular service was inappropriate for Huelva — “Marian territory,” as she described it. “The injured are in the hands of the Virgin Mary,” she said.
National Mourning and Royal Attendance
A large funeral Mass will take place Thursday in Huelva, the destination of one of the trains and home to 28 of the victims. Originally planned for the Cathedral of La Merced, the service has been moved to the Carolina Marín Sports Palace to accommodate the crowds.
The Mass will be presided over by the bishop of Huelva, Santiago Gómez Sierra, alongside the president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Luis Javier Argüello, and other clergy. The King and Queen of Spain have confirmed their attendance.
As the nation prepares to pay tribute, Spain continues to grapple with unanswered questions—about safety, responsibility, and faith’s enduring role in the face of tragedy.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
Related Images:
