“Neither the State nor the market can save us, although in the last stretch of modern time they have presented themselves as saviors who can fulfill what they promise,” highlighted Luis Argüello, president of the Episcopal Conference, in his analysis “of the causes, the consequences and responses” to the catastrophe caused by DANA in Valencia, in his opening speech to the Plenary Assembly of the bishops, which began this Monday in Madrid.
Argüello had already begun his speech by raising a prayer, “in the name of everyone,” for “the eternal rest of those who died due to the ferocious floods experienced in Valencia, Albacete and other places in our land, a hug to the victims with the commitment to continue with our material and spiritual help; also a grateful recognition to those who lead a ‘wave of solidarity’.
However, in his analysis of the situation he has pointed out that “the painful astonishment has not disappeared from our eyes” to add that “the tragedy is immense and the tear in people, families and the entire economic and social fabric is not easy to mend.” “In the loss of the deceased it is humanly impossible.” «With tears still in my heart, where to look? Where to find a lifeline? Who is to blame? Who gives justice to the dead?»; has been asked.
In this context, he has highlighted that neither the State nor the market can be the answer to salvation. “Reduced to consumers and voters, the market and the State offer us a salvation, progress! Which is not enough,” he has developed his idea. “But, the tragedy has reawakened a common and fraternal soul, a desire to share and help, a gift that is not commerce and a commitment that is not a vote,” he explained. “The State and the market need the gift to regenerate and abandon all messianic pretensions,” he highlighted in this part of his speech.
A speech of a social nature
In addition to the explicit reference to those killed by DANA, Argüello’s first speech as president of the Episcopal Conference has had an eminently social character and has focused on four aspects: “Demographic growth in its double dimension, vegetative and migratory, work , housing and the situation of political coexistence.
On the first question, the president of the bishops highlighted that “in Spain more people die than are born”; and has highlighted in this “a worrying tone, the relationship between pregnancies, births and abortions, which unfortunately has grown in favor of the latter.” “The number of aborted children represents almost 40% of the Spanish demographic deficit,” he recalled.
In this sense, he has pointed out that “Spain is the red lantern in family policies to protect the family and promote birth rates.” A phenomenon that has as a consequence that “there are more and more isolated people, many in unwanted loneliness and fewer stable families. Families are getting smaller and many no longer have children. “Spain is in a real demographic bankruptcy,” he emphasized. A situation that leads to “the entire social, economic and, consequently, political system, facing a panorama of global crisis in the medium term. The ‘demographic winter’ is not something exclusive to Spain, although our country stands out as an outstanding student of this postmodern West.
Argüello has also linked the housing problem to the demographic situation. Thus, he has denounced the fact that there are more and more people living alone, compared to homes “overoccupied in rentals per room or hosting people from several families due to the current problems” and the difficulties in accessing housing, due to the high rent and mortgage prices. «Homes have grown by almost two million in the last 10 years, but they have been emptying, an average of 2.49 people live in each home»; has pointed out.
#Luis #Argüello #face #DANA #tragedy #State #market #save
