[Catholic Caucus] Priest denies bodily Assumption of Mary at Mass while allowing ‘liturgical dance’

LifeSite News ^ | August 17, 2026 | LifeSite News Staff

[ebb tide]

[Catholic Caucus] Priest denies bodily Assumption of Mary at Mass while allowing ‘liturgical dance’

‘We should not take this literally,’ a priest in Spain said of the Virgin Mary’s Assumption, arguing that ‘No human being ascends to heaven, body and soul. Heaven is not a physical place.’

During a televised Mass celebrating the 125th anniversary of his parish’s founding on the Feast of the Assumption, a priest delivered a heretical sermon questioning the Assumption of the Virgin Mary while also allowing men and women dressed in brightly colored hoop skirts to perform a liturgical dance. 

The troubling liturgy took place at La Asunción parish in the town of Torrelavega, Spain. 

“Today we celebrate Mary ascending to heaven, body and soul,” began Father Juan Carlos Rodríguez del Pozo’s homily. He then declared:

Obviously, we should not take this literally. No human being ascends to heaven, body and soul. Heaven is not a physical place; it is a state of the soul — a state of fulfillment and happiness.

According to a report by InfoVaticana, a media outlet that covers events in both Rome and Spain, the priest also referred to the many names with which the church honors Mary as “mythology”:

God chooses Mary, a humble woman, a woman of the people. Mythology has shaped her and exalted her to such an extent – adorning her with so many necklaces, crowns, privileges, and titles – because sometimes we must turn to mythology to speak of realities that are earthly (…) realities of this world that are difficult to put into words, and so we have to resort to mythology.

Universitarios Católicos (UC), an organization that says it is obliged “to bring the Cross to the world,” took the heretical parish to task.

“Don Juan Carlos, the Assumption of Mary is NOT something “symbolic” or ‘mythological.’ It is a dogma of faith defined ex cathedra by Pius XII in 1950: ‘she was assumed in body and soul to heavenly glory,’” UC declared. “To deny it is to desert the Catholic faith (Munificentissimus Deus).”

“A priest who does this incurs formal heresy, places himself outside of communion, and exposes souls to error,” the UC post adjured. 

“Preach the faith of the Church, not your own,” they insisted. 

Before the homily, Fr. Rodríguez introduced a liturgical dance that he then sat and watched with the rest of his congregation.

And now, we are going to watch the parish’s contemplative dance group (…) as they offer us a special tribute for this 125th anniversary. We will see a multitude of colors symbolizing the rose window (…) colors, diversity, and joy (…) They will dance in a circle. The circle represents perfection (…) Around the Eucharistic table, there is a place for everyone (…) So, with this in mind, let us enjoy this moment.

Immediately after the group of men and women “clad in enormous hoop skirts of vivid colors orange, fuchsia, red, purple, light blue, white, and yellow” finished their dance around the altar and throughout the church, the celebrant proclaimed that the dance “has enveloped us in that circle of love and solidarity.”

The InfoVaticana report explained the grievous nature of the priest’s error: “On November 1, 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution *Munificentissimus Deus* — exercising the supreme degree of the papal magisterium — Pius XII declared and defined ‘as a divinely revealed dogma of faith that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.’” 

The same document warns that “if anyone — which God forbid — should dare willfully to deny or call into doubt that which We have defined, let him know that he has fallen away from the divine and Catholic faith.”

---

TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic
KEYWORDS: heretic; synodalchurch; synodalpriest

[ebb tide]

One could wonder if this same heretic priest allows doubts Jesus Christ's Ascension into Heaven.

[ebb tide]

Ping

[DPMD]

Formerly attended a NorCal church where a “liturgical dance” was a feature. Thought it was completely ridiculous and meaningless.

[Dr. Sivana]

Obviously, we should not take this literally.

I find that when someone preface a phrase with the word "obviously", what follows is not at all obvious. We don't comprehend what happens to physical bodies when they ascend, only they are no longer earth bound, and are still bodies. At the Final Judgment, we get our bodies back (glorified or damned), and go some place.

We know that Elias' and Enoch's bodies are still somewhere, likely alive, (they may be the Two Witnesses). We know from the Book of St. Jude that the body of Moses was taken by St. Michael. I think it is no coincidence that the two men speaking to our Lord with a physical appearance at the TRansfiguration are Elias and Moses.

[kawhill]

“Before the homily, Fr. Rodríguez introduced a liturgical dance that he then sat and watched with the rest of his congregation.

And now, we are going to watch the parish’s contemplative dance group (…) as they offer us a special tribute for this 125th anniversary. We will see a multitude of colors symbolizing the rose window (…) colors, diversity, and joy (…) They will dance in a circle. The circle represents perfection (…) Around the Eucharistic table, there is a place for everyone (…) So, with this in mind, let us enjoy this moment.” I wasn’t able to attend.

[Orosius]

Somebody needs to be defrocked.

[NorthMountain]

[nicollo]

This priest have a bishop?

[Verginius Rufus]

Para bailar la heretica, necesita una poca de gracia..muy poca....

[henbane]

Fr. Rodríguez has incurred a formal heresy with his claims that "mythology" has invented these false concepts concerning The Blessed Mother's factual Ascension. Fr. Rodríguez also states that many of the Church's dogma is "mythological"--not a disticinct part of "reality."

These firmly stated ideas presented to his congregation are deeply heretical and an abomination to traditional Catholic doctrine. The penalty for such formal heresy has been made crystal-clear historically and the details can be found in the books of Canon Law.

Fr.Rodríguez must be immediately brought to an eccliasical trial and then be de-frocked to prevent further damage to the congregation.

If Fr. Rodriguez does not formally disavow these heretical teachings and beliefs, he must know that his soul will spend eternity within the fiery confines of hell itself.