The general secretary and spokesperson of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), Francisco César García Magán, spoke yesterday against a possible amnesty law related to the process. The prelate, auxiliary bishop of Toledo, pointed out that, in his opinion, Spain is not currently experiencing an “exceptional historical situation” that justifies the measure that Junts per Catalunya and Esquerra Republicana demand from the acting president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez , to support his re-election.
The general secretary of the EEC, who has been in this role since November 2022, spoke in this regard when he was asked about the issue at the press conference following the meeting of the permanent commission of the body of Spanish bishops . The spokesman for the bishops affirmed that there are tools in the field of law for “very exceptional historical situations”, and recalled that there was already an amnesty when there was a change of regime, during the transition.
Nevertheless, García Magán emphasized that this week the investiture plenum of Alberto Núñez Feijóo is being held “with democratic normality”, so he opined that “we are not facing an exceptional situation that makes exceptional tools essential “. “We are facing an ordinary situation of a full investiture”, added the bishop, who has been a member of the Episcopal Council for Legal Affairs, an advisory body of the EEC in matters of law.
Likewise, the prelate pointed out that “it is good for everyone to respect the current legality and the constitutional order”, and he remarked that Sánchez, for the time being, “has not explicitly said that he will use this measure”. good for a society and for a country that always respects the principle of separation of powers, because it is a guarantee of democracy and legality”, concluded García Magán.
The EEC pointed out yesterday that his words are “an answer from the general secretary to questions from journalists”, and they considered that it is not the same as a note or a written opinion of the permanent commission.
This position of the Spanish Church contrasts with the one it adopted in June 2021 in relation to pardons for prisoners convicted by the Supreme Court for 1-O and the process.
In that case, the Catalan bishops spoke in favor of it in a statement and the CEE supported the prelates of the Tarraconense Episcopal Conference, which brings together all the Catalan dioceses, a few days later. “We are for dialogue and forgiveness, like the Catalan bishops”, summed up the then general secretary and spokesperson of the EEC, Luis Argüello.
Despite this, the Catalan bishops are currently not expected to pronounce on a possible amnesty related to the process, according to the sources consulted. In addition, there is no Tarraconense meeting on the calendar until the beginning of next year, as the last one took place just a few days ago.
The words of the general secretary and spokesman of the Episcopal Conference were received with surprise in some sectors of the Catalan Church.
