The Church divorces itself from the far-right

BarcelonaThe direction that the far-right has taken in Spain and around the world has generated a consequence that has been quite visible in recent weeks: the divorce from the Church. The most palpable proof was the clash between Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran. However, in Spain, the distancing has also become evident in the migratory debate. To the point that a few days ago the bishop of the Canary Islands, José Mazuelos, came out to strongly criticize Vox, but also the PP, for opposing the massive regularization of immigrants: "Many people should get into a cayuco". In fact, the migratory issue has dominated Spanish politics in recent weeks and the regional pacts between the PP and Vox, which have focused on "national priority" in public aid and benefits. And it is precisely this that has caused the most frontal rejection from the Catholic Church hierarchy and entities like Càritas.

"national priority" in public aid and benefitsIn the political sphere, Cabot acknowledges that it is difficult to combat discourses such as "Spaniards first," but the Pope "helps them a lot with the evangelical mission and because he distances himself from Trump's neoliberal policies." On the other hand, episcopal sources consulted by this newspaper emphasize that there is "unity" among the bishops and with the Pope on the migratory message of welcome. In fact, they assure that this is what will be seen during Leo XIV's visit.

There are only a few exceptions within the Church who are critical of migration policies. This is the case of the bishop of Oviedo, and beyond Spain, Cardinal Robert Sarah stands out, who is anti-immigration and very critical of Islam. In fact, Abascal displays a photograph of Sarah in his office. In any case, the former Director General of Religious Affairs and director of the Joan Carrera Foundation, Carles Armengol, emphasizes that According to the president of the Spiritual League of Our Lady of Montserrat, Joan Maluquer, "the basis of the extreme right is the discourse against immigration" and the criticism from the Church leaves them "caught off guard because neither this pope nor the previous one suits them." However, while the leadership is reformist, the base is Vox Operation

Vox seeks to minimize the distance with the Church and party sources consulted by ARA emphasize that "a narrative is being created that is not real". They assure that it does not criticize the Church as a whole, but rather the statements of some bishops – even though they are the ones who lead the Episcopal Conference –. They have "no war" with them, they assure, nor with Caritas – they say that what they want is for irregular immigration not to be promoted with public money in general –, but they also make it known that they would like the Church not to criticize Vox so much. And in this sense, they lament that they do so little against the state executive.

At the moment, from the Vox leadership, there are "efforts to reduce tensions" with the Church through the president of the Episcopal Conference, Luis Argüello, and the cardinal archbishop of Barcelona, Joan Josep Omella. These conversations are intensifying just one month before the pontiff's visit and the Abascal party also wants them to serve to warn the Church of the risk that the state government will "use the Holy Father to launder the president of the government" of Spain, Pedro Sánchez.

Trump's clash with Louis XIV

The clash in the Spanish state is not an exception, but rather the far-right has encountered it forcefully around the world. Trump and his Vice President JD Vance – who declares himself Catholic – have accused Leo XIV of being pro-Iranian, and Vance even dared to lecture the pontiff on the justice of wars. "This character never dares to criticize the mafia government because the mafia government provides him with his business through invasion, and this is his priority, business," Abascal retorted in turn, to lash out at the spokesperson for the bishops, César García Magán, after censoring the so-called "national priority."

In turn, Vox spokesperson José Antonio Fúster recommended that the bishops "put on their cassocks" in Brussels neighborhoods like Molenbeek, with a high Muslim presence. Abascal himself asked the Pope for "much more intense concern" for Christians "massacred by Islamism in Africa," and when they clashed with Pope Francis, over his support for the minimum vital income or his stance on the migratory debate, he referred to him as "citizen Bergoglio." The controversy over the deprivation of Islamic worship in Jumilla or the Valley of the Fallen were also two elements that strained relations.

With the previous pontiff, in some clashes, Vox recalled that Pope Francis's declarations were not "ex cathedra". With Leo XIV, although he has led an offensive against Trump's wars, the far-right party maintains that they have "nothing against" him and recalls his defense of the "right not to migrate" and the call to remain in their countries of origin during his visit to Africa.

With Alianza, also

In the clash between Vox and the Church, the one staged by Aliança also joins, which has not been few either. For example, when the Archbishop of Tarragona and head of the Catalan bishops, Joan Planellas, rebuked Vox saying that "a xenophobe cannot be a true Christian", the leader of the pro-independence far-right, Sílvia Orriols, came out in force: "Let's see if to be a good Christian now you have to be pro-Islam", she added. And the criticisms against Francesc were constant, even for the death: "Promoting and applauding the Islamization of Europe through unbridled immigration or wrapping the baby Jesus in a Palestinian scarf after the terrorist attack suffered by the Jewish people, do not seem like correct moves on the part of those who command Christianity". Sources from Aliança point out that they defend "Western values above all else", "regular and sensible immigration", even if this clashes with the Church.