Archbishop Emeritus of Zaragoza, Mgr. Elías Yanes Álvarez, died on Friday 9th of March 2018 at the age of 90. Mgr. Yanes Álvarez saw the foundation of COMECE in 1980 and from then on he served as delegate of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference until 2005. In 1993 he was elected Vice-President of COMECE and re-elected for a second mandate until 1999.
The funeral took place on Monday 12 March 2018 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar, in Zaragoza, and was celebrated by Mgr. Vicente Jiménez Zamora, Archbishop of Zaragoza and Santander, and concelebrated by Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, President of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, and Cardinal Juan José Omella i Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona.
COMECE, and its newly elected Praesidium, is thankful to God for his work and fruitful pastoral life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his brothers in the episcopate, faithful and family.