The archbishops of Valladolid and Madrid, Luis Argüello and José Cobo, the most voted in the poll for president of the EEC

The archbishop of Valladolid, Luis Argüello, with 32 votes, and the cardinal archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo, with 13, were the prelates with the most votes in the poll held this Monday prior to the election of the new president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference ( CEE) and who will be elected this Tuesday, March 5 in the final vote.

They are followed by the archbishop of Oviedo, Jesús Sanz, who has obtained 10 votes; the archbishop of Granada, José María Gil Tamayo, and the archbishop of Burgos, Mario Iceta, with 4 votes each, as Europa Press has been informed by sources familiar with the decision.

This straw vote is preliminary and non-binding and the decision of who succeeds the Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Juan José Omella, as head of the Spanish bishops will be taken this Tuesday in a final vote.

In total, 49 Spanish bishops are eligible as president in the vote that will take place this Tuesday during the 124th Spring Plenary Assembly, brought forward to March - from the 4th to the 8th - instead of April as is customary when the positions of the bishops must be renewed. governing bodies of the EEC.

Since 2022, the Dicastery of Bishops does not allow bishops over 75 years of age to be elected to the position of president or vice president - who must have already presented their resignation to the Pope - and strongly recommends that those prelates who will reach that age not be selected. within the mandate, as EEC sources recalled this Thursday, February 29. Along with them, auxiliary bishops are not eligible. These exclusions leave the number of eligible prelates at a total of 49 if the Vatican recommendation is followed, in addition to the prohibition.

After the election of the president, the plenary will also elect the vice president, who must submit to the same criteria, and who will replace the cardinal and archbishop emeritus of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, who cannot repeat either. He will also elect the members of the Executive Commission and the presidents of the episcopal commissions. Once elected, they will form part of the Permanent Commission.

The only positions that are not renewed on this occasion are those of the general secretary, César García Magán, and the vice-secretary of Economic Affairs, Fernando Giménez Barriocanal, both five-year terms and whose renewal is usually held in the November plenary session.

This is the second time that the bishops have voted according to the new statutes, which increase the mandate from three to four years. In total, there are 78 elector bishops, although only those who are present in the plenary vote and they do so secretly and electronically. On the contrary, those prelates who are eligible can be so even if they are not present at the vote.

Specifically, 65 diocesan bishops, 10 auxiliary bishops, the military archbishop and the two apostolic administrators of Huesca-Jaca and Gerona have the right to vote. It so happens that last Thursday the Pope appointed the abbot of Poblet (Tarragona), Octavi Vilà, bishop of Gerona, but his episcopal ordination will not take place until next April 21, as Europa Press has been informed by sources from the diocese, so it is not yet part of the EEC and cannot vote or be elected on this occasion.

Until that Thursday, Osoro himself could also vote, as ordinary of the Eastern rite Catholic faithful in Spain, but this Friday the Pope replaced him with the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, José Cobo, with immediate effect, so You will not be able to vote as you are emeritus.

All votes are preceded by a non-binding poll, for information, and which is not made public. In the case of the president, this straw vote took place this Monday afternoon, March 4. The election of the president will take place this Tuesday the 5th around 10:00 in the morning.

The new president must be elected by an absolute majority of those present and there can be up to three votes. The last one will be between the two most voted of the previous one in case no prelate has reached an absolute majority. And if there is a tie in the third vote, the oldest bishop will be elected. After knowing the name of the president, on Tuesday the vote for the vice president will take place through the same dynamic.