The dispute surrounding the Torreciudad sanctuary has transcended the purely pastoral sphere to become a debate of legal and institutional significance. The Bishop of Barbastro-Monzón, Ángel Pérez Pueyo, has emphasized the need to clarify the documentary evidence supporting the management and presence of the ancient image of Our Lady of the Angels—a sculpture dating back to the 11th century—in a process involving the diocese, the Prelature of Opus Dei, and the mediation of the Holy See.

For its part,  Opus Dei insists that the historical relationships and agreements are protected by current legislation. According to the Prelature, the origin of the current apostolic and conservation work dates back to 1962, when an emphyteutic contract was formalized in a public deed—registered in the Property Registry—to restore the old hermitage and transfer its beneficial ownership. It also recalls that the construction of the new church in the 1970s had the approval and express agreement of the then diocesan bishop, Monsignor Jaime Flores, through notarial deeds that included the transfer of the image for greater veneration by pilgrims.

While  the bishopric  is calling for a comprehensive documentary update that accurately reflects the later Code of Canon Law, the institution linked to the Work defends the validity of the historical agreements and the application of the doctrine of one’s own acts, emphasizing that for six decades the collaboration has been constant and peaceful.

Far from seeking an irreconcilable confrontation, both parties have repeatedly expressed their shared desire to reach a definitive agreement that guarantees legal stability and allows them to continue promoting spiritual care for the hundreds of thousands of faithful who come to this Marian enclave every year.

In this context, the Holy See’s intervention through the Pontifical Commissioner is interpreted not only as arbitration in the face of normative discrepancies, but also as an opportunity to mend the seams of institutional erosion. The current challenge lies in harmonizing the sovereignty and pastoral oversight of the local diocese with the global charism and investment that Opus Dei has made in Torreciudad for half a century, demonstrating that dialogue and canon law can go hand in hand for the benefit of the Church.