Bishop of Getafe Dissolves the Brothers of Merciful Love Following the Dissolution of the Women’s Branch

Bishop Ginés García Beltrán has ended the communal formation of the men seeking to establish the Brothers of Merciful Love as a religious family in the Diocese of Getafe. The decision, announced September 15, dissolves the formation house where the men lived together and moves seven priests, two deacons, and approximately 20 seminarians into individual processes of vocational discernment.

The move follows more than a year of canonical scrutiny regarding the female branch of the movement, which has already been dissolved. While the bishop did not declare that the men acted improperly or that their religious intentions were illegitimate, the decision ends the collective experiment that began in 2008. Of the seven priests affected, five are incardinated in Getafe and two are temporarily incorporated through arrangements with their own bishops.

The priests and deacons currently in ministry will continue their pastoral assignments while they discern their individual vocations. The seminarians may move to diocesan seminaries or join other recognized religious institutes or forms of consecrated life. The diocese stated that this decision does not serve as a negative judgment on the vocations of these men.