With the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops holding a virtual fall assembly, the bishops of Spain are also holding their fall gathering.
On the agenda for the Spanish bishops are Europe’s rising populist currents, and a bill in Spain that threatens religious education.
In his opening speech, the conference president, Cardinal Juan Jose Omella of Barcelona, spoke of the “tensions” that society has today, due to stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The prelate quoted a recent speech by Pope Francis to the leader of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, during his visit to Rome last month: “It’s necessary for all of us to build our nation, where the delete and start over is not permitted.”
Seeing the rising unemployment and recession in Spain but also in most of Europe, Omella said this is “not the moment for divisions, it’s not the moment to allow the irresponsible and ideological populist sprouts to sneak in. This is the moment for cohesion, for cordiality, working together, of looking to the long term, freeing ourselves from the short-termism of elections or the stock market.”
“As the Pope said, ‘ideologies sectarianize, ideologies deconstruct the homeland, they do not build, it is necessary to learn from history’,” the cardinal continued. “It’s the moment of unity and good politics, that which ensures respect for the human person and works tirelessly for the common good.”
Omella’s speech was divided in 14 points, and several times he insisted on the “urgency” to build spaces and attitudes of encounter in the political class, society as a whole and also within the Church.
The remarks are peppered with references to Francis, including to his historic Urbi et Orbi blessing on March 27.
“The square had never been so empty and perhaps it had never been so full of people following the message from every home,” Omella said. “People of different religions, beliefs and nationalities where more united than ever because of the unusual and hard experience that we are all suffering.”