The false ‘conversion therapies’ aimed at homosexual people to “change their sexuality” do not have the support of the two cardinals closest to Pope Francis in Spain. Neither the former president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) and archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella, nor the vice president of the bishops and prelate of Madrid, José Cobo, “have given permission for conversion therapies,” as they have indicated official sources from both dioceses to questions from elDiario.es after the complaint filed on December 30 before the Ministry of Equality by the Spanish Association against Sexual Therapies became known. Conversion. The complaint names seven dioceses, including Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Alcalá de Henares, Getafe, Valencia, Sigüenza-Guadalajara and Málaga.
The Archbishopric of Madrid has made it clear that “permission has not been given” for this type of therapy, and adds that “it distances itself from the organization of these initiatives and from any private company that carries them out. Likewise, the diocese recalls that “the therapies have already been rejected by the Holy See, which urged in 2021 not to support, participate in or recommend these treatments”, and insists that the Church of Madrid contemplates, in its pastoral project, ”the accompaniment of people with diverse sexual orientation and their families”, in line with what is stipulated by Pope Francis in his text Amoris Laetitia.
The diocese of Barcelona is equally emphatic, which has expressed its “disagreement with these conversion therapies, especially those that may have been organized in diocesan territory”, while at the same time “it distances itself from the organization of these initiatives that are allegedly linked to two private companies that have no connection with the archdiocese of Barcelona.”
The lawsuit, to which elDiario.es has had access, points to the Transformados project, by Media Salud Comunicación SL, and the New Evangelization Foundation for the 21st Century, which have brought talks with at least 13 parishes in five autonomous communities to several supposed ex-gays who underwent said therapies. Some of them even ended up becoming a priest.
The Barcelona archbishopric, led by Cardinal Omella, also adds that “the Holy See condemned these treatments a few years ago and recently Pope Francis reiterated his concern about these practices in a meeting with a group of prelates.”
Similarly, consulted by elDiario.es, the diocese of Valencia, another of those involved in the complaint, emphasizes that “it is not involved in that type of practice.” However, sources from the diocese of Getafe consulted by SER have acknowledged the holding of two events (in which their former Director of Communication, Julián Lozano, participated), but have categorically denied that they were conversion therapies because, for example, “there was no accompaniment.” Furthermore, they assure that “they were only testimonies of approach to the faith of people who were not previously Catholic.”
The president of the Spanish Association against Conversion Therapies, Saúl Castro, explained when he filed the complaint that the organization has been present at some of the events. “This is an initiative that has also promoted documentaries for the practice of conversion with the idea that homosexuality is not a natural sexual orientation, but is the result of different traumas in the development of identity and maturity,” he assures.
According to his explanation, Transformados conversion therapy consists of homosexual people living “in chastity” and carrying out daily religious practices, including reading the Bible, daily prayers, attending mass and confession, so that “the “The love that you look for in people of the same gender is replaced by the love that God gives you.” From the Association they explain that the therapy ensures that if the practices are carried out continuously, homosexuality can be “repaired” and they give “examples” of “supposed homosexuals” who “ceased being homosexual.” “They specifically recommend associations that accompany homosexual people who supposedly want to stop being gay,” Castro criticizes.
All information in www.religiondigital.org
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