The archbishop of Oviedo in Spain, Jesús Sanz Montes, defended the presence of God in public life during a forum titled "What the Catholic Faith Contributes to Spain and Europe," held at the Spanish Senate. "I engage in politics whenever I can," he stated.
The event, organized by the Enraizados Foundation under the heading "God: A Light in Public Life?", took place Oct. 19. It began with a prayer that included the following petition: "Transform our homeland into an anteroom to the heavenly homeland."
During the gathering, the Franciscan archbishop took part in a roundtable discussion with Higinio Marín, rector of Cardenal Herrera CEU University; Sen. Fernando Gutiérrez, who represents Melilla; and Bieito Rubido, director of El Debate online news.
Sanz explained that he is frequently accused of being a bishop "who gets involved in politics," a charge he acknowledges is fair, noting that he "rarely disappoints" in that regard with some of his homilies and writings.
"I say everything I can. I engage in politics whenever I am able," he stated, further clarifying that by "politics," he is referring to "the ministry of bearing witness within the 'polis' — in the city."
He explained that in these statements, he's not sharing "nonpartisan proposals, but rather values ??in which I believe, values ??I have learned from God and his Church."
"When I point out lies and liars, I never mention their names, nor do I ever cite their political affiliations or acronyms. They provide those themselves when they take it as being directed at them," Sanz noted.
Furthermore, the prelate maintained that there is a place for God in society, a "legitimate possibility for him to accompany us" as a God who "is not a rival, who does not replace us, but who, with discretion, always accompanies us."
'There are no atheists and believers, but rather believers and idolaters'
When asked about the invitation extended by St. John Paul II in his homily inaugurating his pontificate to open "wide the doors to Christ" within "the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, and the vast fields of culture, civilization, and development," Sanz highlighted that the Polish pontiff had first issued a call not to be afraid.
Sanz further pointed out how Europe, "from the French Revolution onwards, has increasingly leaned toward a kind of suspicion, indifference, and hostility toward the presence of the Christian event."
The archbishop of Oviedo also stated that "in our society, there are no atheists and believers, but rather believers and idolaters."
Citing the poet T.S. Eliot, the prelate contended that "when a person has lost faith in the true God, he has ceased to be a believer," because he is always left with three lesser gods which are not gods, yet ones that people are unwilling to renounce: power, money, and sex.
"You tell me if the people who strut about and impose a thousand and one barriers on you to prevent you from freely expressing your faith are not the people who claim to be atheists or agnostics, yet who are the ones who believe with complete conviction in power, money, and lustful sex," he challenged.
The temptation of going underground
Furthermore, the prelate warned against the temptation of going underground, because "it could reduce us Catholics within the public sphere, at the heart of the city, to silence and invisibility."
"If we don't speak up and don't make our presence known, we might even receive subsidies," he remarked ironically. "But if we voice our views rooted in the long Christian tradition and maintain a presence that is critical but not fault-finding, we become a nuisance. Consequently, not only will we never be granted a subsidy — thank God for that because we will continue to be free — but they will also attempt to censure us to the point of pushing us underground by our silence and invisibility," he explained.
Finally, the prelate argued that Catholics not living in the shadows should be present in "the church, where we celebrate the mystery; the public square, where we bear witness to it; and the atrium, which lies between the two — moving back and forth from the church to the square, and from the square to the church" as witnesses to the truth.
This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
