Pope Francis today accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Solsona (Spain), presented by Msgr.
Xavier Novell Gomà, and has appointed as apostolic administrator 'vacant see' of the same diocese Msgr.
Romà Casanova Casanova, bishop of Vic.
Msgr.Novell Gomà, now 52 / year old, who was 41 years old and the youngest bishop of Spain and the eighth in the world when he was appointed bishop of Solsona by Pope Benedict XVI on November 3, 2010, and the eighth in the world, ran into heavy disputes a few years ago for some of his phrases about gays.
On May 30, 2017, the city council of Cervera declared him a 'persona non grata' as shortly before Monsignor Xavier Novell had declared that "homosexuality can be related to an absent and distant father figure", without then rectifying this statement. On Sunday 28 May he had to leave the parish church of Santa Maria de l'Alba in Tàrrega, escorted by Mossos d'Esquadra, the local police and some parishioners, after some LGBT activists had called a demonstration against him. The municipal councils of Tàrrega and Mollerussa, which are part of his diocese, rejected a visit from Monsignor Novell.
On May 29, the mayor of Solsona, David Rodríguez, classified the bishop's statements as "unfortunate" and said he had contacted Novell to ask for a rectification. On June 1, Bishop Novell apologized "to the parents of homosexuals who have felt ill because of his statements", stating that he had never wanted to offend anyone. However, he warned that "he would continue to fearlessly present the Christian vision of the person and the moral consequences that derive from it".
Previously Msgr. Novell had also made headlines for his positions on the independence of Catalonia. In particular, in September 2013 he advised the parish priests of his diocese not to participate in the "bell ringing campaign" that was to accompany the Via Catalana of 11 September. This sparked numerous protests. In an article published on Sunday 7 September 2014, immediately preceding the celebration of the Day, the diocese of Solsona defended the right of the Catalans to decide and the legitimacy of the request and called the faithful to vote, ensuring that Catalonia "meets the elements that the doctrine of the Church indicates for the reality of a nation: culture, language and history ". Although the bishop did not take sides on the direction of the vote,he invited the citizens "not to remain extraneous to this process" and asked them that "with a democratic and peaceful spirit, they would calmly choose the option they consider best for the good of Catalonia".
Subsequently, before the Catalan parliamentary elections of 27 September 2015, in an article published in the diocesan weekly, Msgr. Novell spoke out clearly and openly in support of the options in favor of the independence of Catalonia.