Bishops redouble the pressure to Congress to regularize irregular immigrants: « They work for the common good » | Spain

The general secretary of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), César García Magán, has called this Friday the “between the two great parties”, referring to the PP and the PSOE, to approve the popular legislative initiative admitted to process more than a year ago that asks for the extraordinary regularization of more than half a million immigrants. The project collected almost 612,000 firms validated by the Electoral Census Officeso he has declared that his processing in the Congress of Deputies is « for democratic maturity. » García Magán has stated at the final press conference of the Plenary Assembly of the bishops that these people « work for the common good » and has put special emphasis on the role of the migrant woman, which « are in many cases in a situation of labor fragility and vulnerability. »

The CEE secretary recalled that current legislation « makes family regrouping almost impossible » and has affected that legislation « Be too demanding » when granting the refugee statute. Very blunt, the bishop has stressed that Spain « was a country of emigrants and emigration », when in the fifties and sixty there were Spaniards in « Switzerland, France or Germany, working to get better welfare to her family. »

Regarding the position of Voxa Catholic self -elofing party, on immigration, has reiterated that « the Church does not have a political party » and that no parliamentary force « exhausts the gospel. » He recalled that Catholics « have the freedom » to support the political formation they consider.

These words reiterate the proimigration position of the Catholic Church. The president of the Episcopal Conference, Luis Argüello, urged a press conference last Monday to PP and PSOE to Promote that extraordinary regularization of half a million immigrants. This popular legislative initiative was admitted to process in the Congress of Deputies more than a year ago. The Church, through CEE, Cáritas and Confer (collegiate entity that brings together the more than 300 religious orders and congregations) was one of its main drivers. In addition to the humanitarian issue, Argüello explained that approveing ​​this proposal « is also a call to overcome sterile polarizations and address the serious common problems from legitimate differences, but looking for meeting points » and offered that the clergy acts as « a channel that facilitates the encounter and dialogue. »

The Church He has influenced numerous times in his pro -immigration posture. More than a year ago, César García Magán himself declared that « the borders did not put them God » and lashed out at the relationship between irregular migration and crime to which the outrages constantly uses: « The equation cannot be made: Immigrant is equal to a criminal, it is equal to a thief, it is equal to a rapist. It is an injustice to identify illegal immigration. » Argüello, he said to the press that « no human being is illegal. »

« Total » support for dialogue for the resignification of the valley

A pseudosindicato ultra truck made you heard around the headquarters of the EEC in Madrid. On their screens, slogans could be read such as « resignification is desecration », referring to the process of open dialogue between the Executive and the Church to detach from Francoist vestiges in the Cazgamuros Valley. Asked about this, García Magán has expressed the “total and unanimous support, without any discrepant voice” of the bishops in the dialogue process with the Government. The Bishop’s spokesman has also assured that in this process « the monks have participated » and that it knows that José Cobo, archbishop of the diocese of Madrid, « has interviewed » with them.

With respect to the escraches and the manifestation at the Group of the CEE of groups contrary to this process, the bishop has pointed out that « the reality of the people he had was very heterogeneous. » « There were people who came to talk, people who came to listen and people who came to scream and insult, some with a bit violent attitude, » he said. Along the same lines, he stressed that these people come from « different ecclesial and extra -eraleths. » He has remarked that the right to demonstration « is a fundamental right », but always « within due respect. »

García Cobo has declared that « there are notes exchanged with the government », but that they have not yet materialized in an agreement. Among the demands of the Church are the conservation of the basilica and the maintenance of the Catholic cult, the « presence of a monastic community in the place » and not destroy the cross. Of these three points, it has only transcended that the Executive Agreement with the Holy See allows the Benedictine community to remain there, A fact for which « there was no alternative », as sources from the Ministry of Presidency pointed out to El País.