Controversy over Prelate’s Homily Reveals Basic Misunderstanding of Catholic Doctrine—and Raises Concerns Over Government as Ecclesiastical Censor.
Newsroom (05/23/2025 10:09, Gaudium Press)The Spanish government has filed a complaint against Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla with the Attorney General’s Office due to a homily delivered by the Bishop Emeritus of Alcalá de Henares on May 11, in Alba de Tormes, Spain.
In the homily, the prelate stated something that is evident in Christian doctrine: the fact that evil entered the human world through original sin. He said, “Also for children born with physical, intellectual, or mental disabilities—this too is already an inheritance of sin and the disorder of nature. But they were called by God and also have, as we do, the foundation of our existence in God, who is the origin, the foundation, and the goal.”
Any objective analyst with even minimal knowledge of Catholic doctrine would understand that the bishop was not referring to individual cases in the sense that every person with a disability is suffering as a consequence of their own sin or that of their parents—an idea that contradicts Christian doctrine and was explicitly refuted by Jesus Christ.
It is deeply concerning that the current Spanish government is acting as a censor and overseer of Catholic doctrine, especially on grounds increasingly labeled as a “hate crime.”
Statement from Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla Regarding his Homily:
In recent hours, media outlets have circulated news regarding a homily delivered in Alba de Tormes on May 11 by Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla, Bishop Emeritus of Alcalá de Henares.
In his homily, Bishop Reig expressed God’s love for all people, especially for those who suffer from any kind of disability. Bishop Reig invites people to listen to the homily in full and quotes below several texts from the Magisterium of the Catholic Church on the topic, which may help clarify the message for all people of goodwill:
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
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Paragraph 418: “As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering, and the domination of death […]”
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Paragraph 2448: “In its various forms—material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and psychological illness, and finally death—human misery is the obvious sign of the inherited frailty of the human condition due to the first sin of Adam […]”
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Paragraph 1264: “Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the baptized, such as suffering, illness, death […]”
Bishop Reig assures his prayers for all people, including those who stand in opposition to the deposit of faith contained in Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 84).
Finally, if anyone felt offended by the words of the homily, Bishop Reig affirms that this was neither his intention nor the meaning of the message. He also personally called the director of the organization “Plena inclusión Castilla y León” to explain his words. The director thanked him for the call and his clarification.
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