The Archbishop of Valencia, Enrique Benavent, warns of the risks that the differences that have arisen around the amnesty become “a reason for social division that exasperates the atmosphere of our society and polarizes coexistence between all.” “Within the differences there are many common values ??that I believe we must all maintain,” he stated yesterday in an interview on Cadena Ser on the occasion of his one year anniversary as archbishop of Valencia.
Benavent recognizes that “we are in a moment of political tension” and that it is normal for there to be “differences in the way of evaluating things, of judging the laws and of understanding if there are measures of grace, whatever they may be.” Benavent, who was bishop of Tortosa (Tarragona) during the ‘procés’, recalled that the illegal referendum of 2017 generated a “moment of tension” in which the Catholic Church tried to “make peace” to “seek the most peaceful coexistence.” possible”.
He has thus defended the response that the bishops gave to the ‘procés’: “I believe that the recommendations that we gave in the Catalan dioceses, which did not suppose a political party taking but paths for a coexistence that was as harmonious as possible, with the passage of time They have proven us right.”
Six years later, in the current situation, the cardinal has maintained that “the Church must adopt this position.” Now, he has refused to assess the position of other bishops against the amnesty, limiting himself to defending that they speak out within the framework of the Episcopal Conference because “it affects the entire Spanish society.”
