"The Capuchin Mass was (and wasn't) a miracle"

BarcelonaOn March 9, 10 and 11, 1966, A heterogeneous group locked themselves inside the Capuchin monastery in Sarrià. They were students, intellectuals, artists, friars, and journalists who defied Franco and held out for three days in the convent. In February, they had announced far and wide the formation of the first Democratic Union of Students of the University of Barcelona (SDEUB). The posters revealed the date and their intentions, but not the location of the assembly, and the police were unable to find out. This Monday, some of those who had been locked away in 1966 returned to the convent for an event organized by the Laude collective. Among the audience that filled the convent's auditorium were former president José Montilla and former mayor of Barcelona, ​​Xavier Trias. Sixty years have passed, and many things have changed. Father Botam, who sheltered the students and prevented the Francoist police from entering, could not be present either, as he died more than two years ago. Three of the friars who were part of the community in 1966 are still alive. One of them is Enric Castells, who received a standing ovation this Monday. The other two are Father Lluís de Reus and Father Jordi Marquet, who cooked the lentils left in the kitchen so the police could enter before the students ate them. The memories and some ideas remain.

Andreu Claret, who moderated the event, used the word "miracle" to describe what happened 60 years ago. Quim Boix, who was one of the delegates from the Faculty of Engineering at Capuchinada, showed that he hasn't lost the enthusiasm he had at that time. Boix, who is an atheist, prefers to speak of "collective work": "At the university there were older and more experienced students, but you had to be a communist to dare to go," he argued in the debate moderated by journalist Andreu Claret. Maria Lluïsa Penelas, a biology student, also had the audacity to attend. Since her class representative didn't show up, she went herself. "Women were a minority, but we were well represented. Our presence was very important because of our legal status; we couldn't have a passport or ID card without a man's authorization," she said. Penelas, the daughter of a former police officer, explained that her parents went to the convent as soon as they found out. They didn't boo her or try to take her home. "They brought me a sandwich and some underwear," she explained.

That March of 1966, the Sarrià convent was filled with about five hundred students (around one hundred of them girls), 33 intellectuals, the Capuchin friars, two foreigners, and seven journalists. Among the intellectuals gathered was Jordi Rubió i Balaguer, the first director of the Library of Catalonia and former professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). Also accompanying the students were the poet Joan Oliver, the painters Albert Ràfols Casamada and Antoni Tàpies, the dean of the College of Architects of Catalonia Antoni de Moragas, the architect Oriol Bohigas, the writers Maria Aurèlia Capmany, Carlos Barral, Joaquín Molas, José Agustín Goytisolo

The ineffectiveness of the police

Former regional minister and economist Andreu Mas-Colell was a fifth-year economics student. "The Capuchinada was not a miracle, and yet it was a miracle," he asserted. "Catalan society had distanced itself from Francoism; there was cross-party unity, no dissent, and the repression was no longer what it had been in the past. Franco couldn't afford to brutally repress middle-class boys and girls. The miracle was the strength of the SDEUB (United Left of Catalonia) and the fact that we were audacious and went out a month before the scheduled day and time," he affirmed. Mas-Colell also highlighted the importance of the documents that were presented and the presence of intellectuals like Xavier Folch. The Capuchinada was a political struggle and demonstrated the unity of those who opposed Francoism. In 1966, various documents were presented, including theManifesto for a democratic university, signed by students and professors. It was quite critical of the backwardness of Spanish universities.

"It wasn't a mushroom," stated Joan Colom. An economics student, member of Congress, the European Parliament, and auditor, he emphasized the importance of the labor and social movement, and strikes like the Asturian miners' strike of 1962. The sit-in ended the moment the police entered. There was a paper announcing the menu: "Soup (in thedumond"Lentils (viduas). No bread, no wine, no dessert." In the kitchen, there were pots of lentils. "I'm one of those who were able to eat lentils, with Maria Aurèlia Campany," Penelas affirmed. They had to give their names. Many, like Quim Boix, were taken to their homes the next day. It was one of the first arrests, and happened many more times. "I always told the police that I wouldn't say I was a communist; it was their job to prove it," explained Boix, who, like many others, was unable to return to university. What message do they leave from all that struggle? "The same unity we should have with Gaza or against the war in Iran. We shouldn't invest in weapons but in improving people's living conditions," said Boix. "At that time, there was a lot of representation, many people without party affiliation; we didn't feel alone," Colón affirmed. "There was unity, many platforms were created, there was a lot of dialogue, and culture was very important; there was a lot of creativity. Some things were somewhat absurd, but I would highlight the importance of a unified approach," stated Carlota Solé, professor of sociology. "There is unanimity on the need for unity, but unity around what? Today it's about preventing Vox from entering the government," argued Mas-Colell.