We need your help to continue reporting
Collaborate with Newtribuna
The DANA of October 29 has left in many Valencian towns (and elsewhere) a trail of deaths and material losses of catastrophic proportions. The management of before, during and after the overflow of ravines has forced all social actors to position themselves, to act as they think (and as they are). Political leaders, social organizations and citizens as a whole have shown themselves naked before society.
Unfortunately, it has had to be a tragedy of this magnitude that has shown us, with absolute evidence, the indisputable ineptitude of Mazón and his government team. This has been the first lesson we have learned. And, of course, “dignity” does not rhyme with Mazón, although “resignation” does. But without the first rhyme, the second cannot have any effect.
The Monarchy and the Church have in common having lost a unique opportunity to demonstrate that they are of some use to the Spanish people.
It has also cast reasonable doubt on the central government’s decision to let Mazón direct the post-DANA emergency: spirit of collaboration with the Valencian government, leaving aside political rivalries, or premeditated and Machiavellian calculation of the nation’s government to obtain a political gain? I refuse to believe the latter, although with the current climate of politics, collaboration between institutions with different ideological biases is pure science fiction today.
On the other hand, we can affirm with absolute certainty that Valencian citizens (and not only Valencians, judging by the mobilization of many volunteers from the rest of Spain) have felt challenged by this collective misfortune and that it has been lived with empathy and solidarity. Volunteers, donors, NGOs and private companies. All of them have allocated material resources, which is precisely what those affected need, to alleviate the suffering of the affected people as much as possible: food, machinery, work hours, relocation houses, clothing and a long etcetera.
What other institutions have been significant with their attitude towards this human tragedy? There are two other social actors whose reaction has been exactly the same: providing moral support to those affected but no material support. The monarchy has come to Valencia on several occasions to offer its “moral” support (one of them with a rain of mud on their heads). And the monarchs will return to Valencia to attend the funeral mass organized by the Valencian archbishopric as a tribute to the 222 deceased. Once again they will come loaded with “moral” support for those who have suffered this drama. But not a single word about giving up any part of the more than 8.4 million euros annually in the budget of the royal house obtained from the taxes of the Spanish people in favor of those affected.
When you have financial resources like those available to monarchs and bishops, offering only “moral” support and “a few prayers” is, to say the least, a bad joke.
On the other hand, the bishops of the Catholic Church organized a Eucharist in Madrid that was, in the words of the Episcopal Conference: “the most radical thing that the Church can offer, which is hope in the risen Jesus Christ.” That is to say, the most, the most!, that the bishops can offer is a prayer in support of the victims. They promoted a collection among the faithful to help those affected, but that money came out of the pockets of the faithful (not that of the bishops) who thus became private donors. The bishops of the Catholic Church receive more than 12 billion euros annually in public money. From the income tax return alone, the Church received 360 million euros in 2022. The Church does not pay taxes, it does not pay IBI for any of its more than 100,000 properties that it has, including cathedrals, hermitages, apartments and premises (many of them rented and, by the way, some could give it up for those who have been left without their homes), garages, land, university buildings, religious schools and hospitals, gardens, monumental buildings (for which entrance to visitors without paying taxes on the proceeds). Nor do you pay the IBI, as those who have seen their house flooded to the ceiling will have to do, nor many other taxes. Every year the bishops have money left over from what they receive from our taxes and instead of returning it or distributing it among people in need, they decide to invest it in financial products to obtain maximum benefits (122 million in the bank in the last 5 years). For greater substance, the same bishops declare that in 2022 they did not give a single euro to Cáritas of the money received from the X of the income. The only thing bishops can offer is a Eucharist and a funeral mass!
The Monarchy and the Church, in addition to coinciding next Monday, December 9 in Valencia, at the religious funeral for the DANA victims, have in common having lost a unique opportunity to demonstrate that they have some use for the Spanish people. A golden opportunity to convince us that the people do care. When you have financial resources like those available to monarchs and bishops, and you publicly announce yourself as an institution dedicated to the subjects or the faithful, offering only “moral” support and “a few prayers” is, to say the least, a practical joke. . If, furthermore, we take into account that Spain is a non-denominational State, the fact that the monarchs have been so quick to announce their presence at the mass to give their “support” to the bishops who in turn invite them to “pray” ”, and that all this will be done in Valencia on December 9, the date on which the International Day of Secularism and Freedom of Conscience is celebrated, then it can only be interpreted as a real mockery.
#DANA #exposes #Monarchy #Church
