Pair of Mediums Desecrate the Basilica of El Pilar, the Cathedral, and Another Church in Zaragoza, Spain

(ZENIT News – Porta Luz / Zamora, 07.15. 2026).- They go by the name «White Light Guides – Mediums» and have amassed no fewer than 159,000 followers on their Instagram account. «We help you understand the spirit world,» they claim; and their services include, alongside classic spiritualist activities, other esoteric practices such as Reiki or Tarot. Their names are Cristina and Alfonso; they are Spanish, and their posts generate significant engagement among their followers, who comment, ask questions, seek advice, and «like» every photo or video.

Spiritualist Publicity in Catholic Places of Worship

So far, there is nothing new under the sun. The Internet, like the real world, is teeming with gurus, therapists, facilitators, and «spiritual masters» from the New Age universe. Contemporary spiritualism, which originated in the 19th century, has managed to integrate itself into this syncretic haze as yet another foundational element.

However, something about what these «White Light Guides» have posted in recent weeks has drawn attention: video recordings made inside Catholic churches, showing them performing actions that amount to a genuine act of desecration.

These videos were filmed in the Spanish city of Zaragoza, specifically, in one of the universal Church’s most significant sanctuaries: the Basilica of the Pillar. This is the site where, according to an ancient Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to the Apostle James while she was still living on earth, in order to strengthen him in his mission. Additionally, other reels were filmed at La Seo, the name given to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Zaragoza, and another at the Basilica of Santa Engracia, which was built over an early Christian place of worship.

Spirits «Visualized» in the Cathedral

These are short, «homemade» videos, shot on a mobile phone without fancy technical effects, intended to offer useful advice from experts on spiritual matters. Chronologically, we begin with a video titled «What to do when you encounter a spirit,» in which a woman speaks, saying: «Inside the Cathedral of Zaragoza, I have just seen a man in this chapel praying in a deeply meditative state.» Alfonso then speaks: «I confirm what Cristina says; I see a hologram, a figure. It is a father praying for his son, who has an infectious disease… praying that he won’t die.» However, he explains that the man has already died without realizing it. Consequently, the medium declares: «I am going to tell him to ascend into the light.»

The context accompanying the recording explains that, on such occasions, «once you have ‘visualized’ [the entity], ‘spirit information’ appears.» The medium or sensitive individual then has a mission: «when you perceive it (for it has revealed itself for a reason), you must help it go into the light and continue on its path.» It is noted that «the father who was praying immediately ascended into the light through the figure of Jesus,» as this took place before a depiction of the crucified Christ.

Something similar occurs in the second video, filmed inside the Cathedral and titled «When You Are Thanked from the Beyond.» Attempting to appear spontaneous, Cristina asks Alfonso why he has become «engrossed before a small chapel.» Alfonso replies that, while they were filming elsewhere in the church, «something caught my attention.» Upon approaching, he discovered an altar dedicated to Saint Philip Neri, and «I heard the voice of the nun I saved during the bombing of San Felipe Neri in the Spanish Civil War, back in ’36, when she was looking after the orphaned children.» Alfonso wonders why the deceased nun had drawn him there and finds the answer: «to thank me for sending them all into the light.» This would tie in with another alleged «good deed» performed by this medium involving supposed wandering souls.

«Energies» in Zaragoza’s Basilicas?

The spiritualist couple shifts the location for the third video, filmed at the Minor Basilica of Santa Engracia, titled «When You Find Three Spirits Praying and Help Them on Their Path.» The same pattern is repeated: after touching an altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin, Alfonso remarks that he sees «three men between 40 and 45 years old… they are praying… They are from the same town and came specifically to pray. They don’t know they are dead.» He notes they have been there «100 years, 120 years. But I will send them to the light.» In the accompanying text, they add that the church «has a crypt where the energy and peace are incredible,» referring to the site where the remains of the martyr Saint Engracia are venerated.

Following a recording in the Muslim oratory of the Aljafería Palace (an 11th-century Islamic structure where they also claim to «see the presence of a spirit»), the next video is titled «Checking the Energy of the Virgin of the Pillar: It Starts to Smell Like Flowers.» It takes place in this Major Basilica, a site of ancient Marian devotion. In the video, Cristina approaches the section of the marble column venerated as the authentic site of the Virgin’s apparition to «measure its magnetism with the pendulum.» Just centimeters from the pillar, the pendulum spins, and Alfons remarks: «As you can see, it’s positive.»

She explains: «Also, right now, it smells like flowers in here.» She then kneels, touches the column, and makes the Sign of the Cross. Turning back to the camera, she adds: «Totally positive energy, and it smells like flowers right now. Incredible.»

The text accompanying the video elaborates on the mystical and superstitious interpretation of the site and its associated worship. The mediums claim they do not «delve into religious topics or beliefs, since anything is good for those who venerate it,» yet they insist that «you must touch» the pillar «to gain protection and health.» How do they interpret the alleged fragrance? «As we have always said, when the scent of flowers begins to waft, it is a sign that spiritual guides, angels, or highly elevated spiritual beings may be nearby.» They conclude: «For me, it was a very clear sign.»

They even record using a spirit detector!

Well into July, this pair of spiritualists published a new video filmed at the Cathedral, making it three reels now that have used the Metropolitan Cathedral for esoteric promotion. This particular video is titled «When You Perceive Two Knights Templar» and was filmed in the Chapel of Saint Vincent the Martyr, which houses a replica of the Holy Grail venerated at the Valencia Cathedral. Alfonso is the one speaking, pointing to the spot where he claims to have «seen two Templars… positioned between the candelabra and the chalice, one on each side. And the one on the right approached me, telling me not to come any closer to them.»

When the medium asked one of those spirits, he continued, «It told me it was unloading the weapons… because they had been watching this for a long time… This is the mystery of the Zaragoza Cathedral.» The video concludes with images captured using a mobile app supposedly designed to detect invisible presences, intended to «verify if the perceived figures would register technologically.» «And the surprise came when a figure appeared right on the wall where Alfonso had seen the Knight Templar go,» and another is seen next to the replica of the chalice. «We always say that app can yield false positives,» they acknowledge, adding that it is «too much of a coincidence» for the location to match.

Who Are These People?

So much for the brief collection of absurdities shared by those two Spanish mediums. They are Cristina Olivé and Alfonso Fernández, who always present themselves as members of the Raval Spiritist Group (from a well-known neighborhood in Barcelona). The fact is, there are no public references to them beyond this affiliation, and nothing is known about their training or professional backgrounds. It appears their lives revolve around spiritism. Yet, nothing has been published about that Group either, apart from what relates to Alfonso and Cristina.

On the rare occasions they have granted interviews, they claim to be mediums and clairvoyants. He has possessed these «faculties» since childhood, reportedly inherited, as his grandmother was a medium. His alleged paranormal gifts include, in addition to the ability to sense the presence of the deceased, foretelling future events and communicating with spirits via the classic mediumistic method. She includes pseudo-therapeutic practices in her professional profile; she is not only a professional tarot reader but also a spiritual healer, Reiki master, and Akashic therapist.

They are regular participants in the Magic International Fair, a major event held in Barcelona since 1989, which brings together numerous «professionals» from the fields of esotericism and pseudo-therapies.

Cristina and Alfonso have participated in the event at least between the 2013 and 2026 editions. Their 2019 presentation was titled «How to Connect with Spirits and Guides.» By 2021, the title had changed slightly to «How to Connect with Spirits and Your Personal Guide.» A practical spiritualist focus is a constant theme in their work.

In conjunction with Magic ’22, they posted a photo on social media showing Cristina Olivé with the self-styled Lutheran bishop Manuel Acuña, an Argentine based in Spain who claims to be an exorcist and a master of exorcists, standing in front of the Raval Spiritist Group’s booth at the fair. The caption read: «Meeting him was no coincidence.» Acuña reposted the image, replying to the Barcelona-based medium: «A hug of light, my admired friend!» She responded in a separate post: «All of us who work for the light eventually cross paths. A hug of light to you, too.»

A Profanation?

It might seem like an exaggeration to speak of profanation when discussing the content of the aforementioned videos. However, according to the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary, to profane means «to treat something sacred without due respect or to apply it to profane uses.» In the case of this spiritualist couple’s actions, both apply simultaneously: a total lack of respect for Catholic places of worship and the beliefs of the Catholic Church, combined with the use of these sites for self-promotion, spiritualist indoctrination, and even practices condemned by the Church’s Magisterium, such as radiesthesia or the use of a pendulum.

Church regulations are clear on this matter: «Only those things that foster the exercise and promotion of worship, piety, and religion may be admitted into a sacred place, and anything not in keeping with the holiness of the place is forbidden» (Canon 1210 of the Code of Canon Law). The actions taken by those two Spanish mediums in the Cathedral and the two Basilicas of Zaragoza constitute not merely a profane use –neither liturgical nor Christian — but an act of explicit desecration.

Therefore, it is not only correct to speak of desecration, but one could even use a stronger term: sacrilege. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, this is defined as «an injury to or desecration of a sacred object, person, or place.» In the case of these videos, there was no physical injury or damage, but there was indeed a profane and desecrating use of the churches where the filming took place.

And, more importantly, they have exploited these places of worship, as well as Christian beliefs and practices, to confuse and attract believers, as well as others who might view the context in which the videos were filmed as a validation of their erroneous teachings. It is worth noting that the Catholic Church has always rejected Spiritist doctrines and practices, basing its stance on biblical revelation. For this reason, it is particularly offensive and insulting for mediums to take shelter under a sacred roof to propagate something that is profoundly contrary to the faith.