The Secretary General of the EEC, Msgr. Luis Argüello stressed the need to "overcome confrontation" and to exercise mutual care with responsibility in the difficult times we are going through. He also stressed the value of freedom of worship "with the appropriate measures" and the need that Catholics have for the sacraments.
Need for collaboration
The Auxiliary Bishop of Valladolid and Secretary General of the EEC has highlighted these issues at the press conference called to report on the work of the Standing Committee which took place on October 29 and 30.
In addition to reporting on issues related to the work of the Commission, Bishop Argüello wanted to refer to the delicate social, health and economic situation we are going through, which has also been a matter of conversation and reflection of the bishops gathered in the Permanent Commission. In this line, he wanted to underline the need to overcome the social confrontation that can be observed among many political and social groups and that, as he pointed out, produces perplexity in society: "Political and social leaders call us to unity, but many stones of division are thrown on the road, which fills the citizens with perplexity".
To counteract this reality, the Secretary General of the EEC appealed to the responsibility of all citizens. "in small gestures of mutual care, to contribute to slowing the spread of the coronavirus and to get out of the way of any confrontational strategy." and has called on politicians "to lead with concrete proposals and their own testimony of listening and dialogue, of agreement, this path of citizen collaboration".
The Church cannot "wear a mask on our hearts or our intelligence that does not allow us to denounce situations in which dignity, freedom or social justice are at stake".
Bishop Argüello did not avoid referring to more controversial issues that are being attacked by government agencies in these uncertain times. "The Church"he stressed, "wants to be a sign of reconciliation, but it observes tensions within itself and cannot look the other way when the dignity of the person, human life, freedom of education, the fate of seasonal workers and immigrants, or the situation of homes for the elderly and families affected by the crisis are at stake in the public square", in this line, he wanted to point out that the Church cannot "to wear a mask on our hearts or our intelligence that does not allow us to denounce situations in which dignity, freedom or social justice are at stake...".".
The social confrontation was very present in the speech of the secretary general of the bishops, who also highlighted the concern of the Spanish episcopate in the face of "the amendment to the totality of the democratic transition, especially in what it had of concord, reconciliation and looking forward"and has launched a call to Spanish society to exercise with "civic responsibility the common care in the spirit of generosity, concord and civil friendship that springs from the fraternity we profess in invoking a common father.".
"Participation in the Eucharist is essential."
The LOMLOE, the situation of the Valley of the Fallen or the restrictions on worship that have been promoted in some places under the umbrella of the pandemic, were some of the topics that came up in the questions of the information professionals. With regard to the current socio-health situation, Bishop Argüello wanted to point out that "the Church has expressed its desire to collaborate so that the coronavirus does not spread. From this collaboration we believe that participation in the Eucharist is an essential part of the Eucharist. and from there we want to combine how to celebrate the Eucharist with the participation of the Catholic people, as far as possible and taking into account the sanitary measures. It seems to us a better criterion of proportionality, according to the capacity of each temple or place of worship, than an absolute number.".
