The bishops criticize that the PSOE “takes out the scarecrow of the denunciation of the Church-State agreements”

«It is recurrent that – before when there were going to be elections, now it seems that even if there are not, well now there is a presentation -, take out the scarecrow of the review of the agreements or the denunciation of the Agreements between the Holy See and the Spanish State of 1979,” García Magán responded to questions from journalists.

However, the secretary general, who is also an expert in canon law and served as a diplomat in several nunciatures, has specified that these are “international treaties, and they are not governed by internal law but by public international law, so Unilateral denunciation does not cause the termination of the treaty». »The transformation or repeal has to be agreed bilaterally», he highlighted to highlight the limited legal scope of the socialist proposal.

The response was given within the framework of the final press conference after the 126th Plenary Assembly that brought together the Spanish bishops in Madrid this week. Although it was not a topic specifically discussed at the meeting, It is common for the EEC spokesperson to answer openly the questions, on various topics, from journalists. Along these lines, he has also been asked about another of the presentation’s proposals, which proposes opening the ‘X’ framework in the Income Tax return for purposes other than the two current ones, social purposes and the Catholic Church.

Specifically, the PSOE presentation proposes adding the ‘X’ to the personal income tax form for issues such as “scientific and medical research”, the “fight against climate change”, or “help to the most needy in Spain”. Garcia Magan has “welcomed” each citizen to be able to decide what they want to allocate a part of their taxes towhether to “soccer” or “bullfighting.” He also recalled that it is “an exercise in transparency and fiscal democracy in which citizens are asked what they want their taxes to be used for.” “It is not a survey, it is a real survey that the Church undergoes every year,” he concluded.

The spokesperson has also been asked about the latest statements by commissioner Víctor de Aldama that seem to implicate senior PSOE officials in a corruption plot. Without going into specific cases, García Magán has demanded from politicians “moral height in service to othersmoral height and vision to not fly in low flight of the partial and partisan interests of each day, but to raise one’s gaze and flight and look at the horizon with interests of the State, with interests for all citizens.

Reparation Advisory Commission

Regarding internal issues, the spokesperson recalled that the Reparation Advisory Commission has already begun its work, which was created last July and whose purpose is to decide compensation for victims who cannot resort to legal means. In this case, the financial compensation would be borne first by the aggressor himself, and if he did not do so, it would be assumed by “the diocese or religious institute” to which he belonged. Even if they could not face this reparation, the Episcopal Conference itself or the Confer would be the second instance in the case of religious. «So there is, if you will allow me the expression, a double guarantee that this occurs»has clarified regarding the payment of compensation.

Regarding compliance with the recommendations of Gabilondo’s report, which he presented in Congress on Thursday, García Magán has defended that the Church, “as the Ombudsman himself recognized in his speech, has taken many steps” and has assured that Some of their recommendations already have “in force”.

“The Church has made a path, perhaps we have arrived late, but we have made a path that others have not yet begun,” he defended, while warning that “the issue of child abuse is a social problem” and has advocated “seeking regeneration in all areas of social life.” “We must all make a commitment to fight against this problem and eradicate this scourge,” he noted.