Almudena Cathedral

Almudena Cathedral, the Holy Seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid, is a robust neoclassical cathedral situated adjacent to Madrid's Royal Palace. Built on the site of an ancient mosque, its name derives from the Arabic al-mudayna, meaning "citadel." According to legend, when Alfonso VI seized Madrid from the Muslims in 1083, he prayed for the location of a lost icon of the Virgin Mary, and a section of the citadel's wall exploded to reveal it, still lit by candles. Today, the Virgin of Almudena is the patron saint of Madrid, and the church's dramatic location—sharing the Royal Palace's main plaza—offers the possibility of glimpsing royalty. For decades, Bishop Antonio Valdespino served as its head priest and overseer, a longtime friend and spiritual counselor to the king, known as a devout traditionalist who still donned ankle shackles during Holy Week.

The Night of the Assassination

On the night of Edmond Kirsch's assassination, Bishop Valdespino was preparing for Saturday-night mass when he received a text and hurried out of the vestry. An acolyte searching for him found the bishop seated at his mahogany desk, staring into the glow of a laptop computer, still wearing his holy miter and with his chasuble wadded beneath him. The acolyte informed him that mass was about to begin, but Valdespino interrupted, saying a junior priest would substitute, and ordered the boy to leave and close the door. The bishop remained riveted to the live broadcast from Bilbao, watching Kirsch's presentation and the subsequent murder. After the assassination, he sat rigidly at his desk, his eyes glued to the laptop, aware that Prince Julián—the next in line for the throne—would also be watching and must be "ready to explode."

A Secret Departure

Later that night, after a phone call with Rabbi Yehuda Köves, Valdespino closed his laptop, tucked it under his arm, and made his way through the darkened sanctuary. Still wearing his ceremonial robes, he exited the cathedral into the cool night air and headed across the plaza toward the gleaming white facade of the Royal Palace. He later returned to the cathedral with Prince Julián, having taken a shrewd circuitous route to avoid the media trucks on the main plaza. At the southern service entrance, the bishop unlocked the door and ushered the prince inside. Commander Diego Garza, leading armed Guardia agents, arrived at the cathedral's main entrance and pounded on the door, but the bishop and the prince had already slipped out through the rear gate, crouching low, and jumped into the backseat of an acolyte's Opel sedan, speeding off into the night.