The auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Canarias, Cristóbal Déniz, has confirmed that the revered figures of the Virgen del Pino and San Juan Bautista will be transported to the Gran Canaria Stadium for the celebration of the Holy Mass to be officiated by the Pope. The authorization decree, issued by the bishop of the Diocese of Canarias, José Mazuelos, states that the images will be moved and removed privately to ensure their veneration with “due respect, order, and religious sense”.
This information was released during a press conference by the Diocese, where the Information Office in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was also presented. During the meeting, the proposal for an event at the port of Arguineguín, in Mogán, with migrants and rescue personnel, was reiterated, although this is still awaiting confirmation.
“"They are two images of great importance for the Diocese, the image of the Christ of Telde, which has considerable devotion, and that of the Lady of Pino."
The parish priest of Teror and rector of the Basílica del Pino, highlighted the relevance of these images for the Diocese. He recalled that both figures first met in 2000 and later in 2025 in Telde. The decision to reunite them again for the Pope's visit is considered a “historic event” given the devotion and the significance of the first visit of a Pontiff to the Diocese.
Since the opening of registrations for the Pope's events in Spain, the Holy Mass at the Gran Canaria Stadium has registered between 1,000 and 2,000 people in the first few hours. The secretary of Pastoral of the Diocese of Canarias, has encouraged community participation, through parishes and schools, to “live faith in community” and ensure that attendees can be “seated together”.
Informative material about the Holy Father's visit has been made available in parishes to facilitate pre-registration through the website conelpapa.es, a process that can also be done from any computer or mobile device. Registration will be confirmed once seats are assigned and access points are indicated, with an estimated mobilization of up to 80,000 people if chairs are installed on the stadium's lawn, which has a capacity of about 60,000.
Additionally, service points will be established in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura to answer questions and facilitate participation. All events related to the papal visit will be free, but will require registration or accreditation for security reasons.
Among the acts still to be confirmed, but proposed to the Vatican, is a visit to Arguineguín, where the Pope could “express closeness” to the Canarian people and the Church of Canarias for their response to immigration. This event has been planned to include migrants and those who assist them, whom the bishop has called “the angels of the sea,” referring to entities such as Maritime Rescue, Red Cross, or fishermen.
An event at the Cathedral of Santa Ana and a tour through several streets of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have also been proposed, as the popemobile will travel from Madrid to the capital of Gran Canaria and then to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
