José Antonio Satué will take possession of the Diocese of Málaga this Saturday at the Cathedral.

The Diocese of Málaga officially welcomes its new bishop, José Antonio Satué, this Saturday. The Cathedral of the capital will host the event this September 13 starting at 11:00 AM. In June, it was announced that Pope León XIV had appointed Satué as the new bishop of the province, replacing Jesús Catalá, who had held the position for more than 25 years and who at the end of 2024 submitted his resignation upon reaching 75 years of age.

Before the start of the celebration, a procession - consisting of the bishop-elect, Satué; the apostolic administrator bishop, Catalá; the metropolitan archbishop; the representative of the nunciature, Roman Walczak, and the College of Consultors - will depart from the door of the Episcopal Palace in Plaza del Obispo and head towards the main entrance where they will be received by the Cathedral Chapter.

The Diocese of Málaga has detailed that once here, the dean will offer Catalá the Lignum Crucis for veneration and holy water to sprinkle himself and those present. Meanwhile, the choir will sing the antiphon Ecce sacerdos magnus, by the late Málaga priest and musician, Manuel Gámez López, who passed away in 2019.

The procession will continue its route to the Chapel of the Incarnation inside the Cathedral, where a moment of prayer will take place before heading to the sacristy to vest. Following the entrance procession, which will be led by the metropolitan archbishop while the assembly sings Pueblo de Reyes by L. Deiss, Catalá, as the apostolic administrator, will deliver a welcome address on behalf of the Church of Málaga.

Then, the archbishop will request the College of Consultors to present the Apostolic Letters by which the Pope proclaims Satué Bishop of Málaga. Subsequently, he will ask for them to be read in the presence of the chancellor of the curia, who will record the act. After an acclamation, the archbishop will invite the bishop-elect to sit in the cathedra and hand him the pastoral staff, symbolizing the apostolic succession and pastoral continuity. This will be the moment of his installation and the beginning of his episcopal ministry in Málaga, which will be celebrated with the ringing of bells. From this moment, Satué will preside over the Eucharist.

Before the singing of the Gloria –with music by Juan Alfonso García–, José Antonio Satué will be greeted by the dean as a sign of respect for the new bishop, and then a representation of the diocesan Church (the oldest and youngest priests, a seminarian, members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, a married couple with their children, a monk and a nun) will approach the bishop, to kiss the pastoral ring as a sign of welcome and respect. After the collect prayer, the celebration continues normally with the Liturgy of the Word, the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rite.

Musical Section

Throughout the celebration, in addition to the organist Antonio del Pino, the Cathedral choir and choristers from the diocese will perform. They will present, among others, the Alleluia by Marco Frisina and the Sanctus and Agnus Dei with the Gregorian chant from the Missa de Angelis and polyphony by José María Álvarez.

The psalm, composed for this occasion by Antonio del Pino, will be sung by the young Beatriz Jiménez-Villarejo, a member of the Cathedral choir. During communion, the Mediterráneo group, will perform a Malagueña about the Eucharist and, for joy, a theme evoking the appearance of the Risen One on the lake and his conversation with Peter. Both compositions are works of the priest and musician from Málaga, Francisco Castro. Additionally, the delegate of Gypsy Pastoral Care from Granada, José Emiliano Rodríguez Amador, and family, will sing during the offertory and the Gypsy Salve with which the Eucharist will conclude.

The Diocese expects a large turnout of the faithful

A total of 3,000 booklets of the celebration and the same number of mementos will be distributed. Given the large turnout expected, 2,000 extra chairs and various screens have been set up to allow the celebration to be followed from areas with limited visibility.