This is a note that appeared to day at some Catholic news page:
Spanish bishops' president urges victims, ETA to reconcile
Posted on May 23, 2006
Blazquez is right, a lot of wounds need some mending.
But he is plain wrong de moment he demands the first move from ETA, allow me to explain.
He asks for the members of ETA to ask for forgiveness from the victims of violence, that is, ETA's violence.
But let us remember here that ETA's violence was never the cause, but an effect.
In today's Spain, there is an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, and that is the scars that Franco's regime left in the Spanish society. ETA was pushed to their violent ways by Franco's genocidal regime first, and by the unability by "democratic" Spain to tackle important issues later.
So, the right thing to do is to demand for the living members of the Franco regime and their heirs within the Partido Popular (PP) to ask for forgiveness from the Spanish society. Blazquez should also demand from the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) and from the Partido Popular to ask for forgiveness from the Basque society for their actions against the Basques, including all the victims of state sponsored terrorism with its most virulent expressions in the Grupos Armados de Liberación (GAL) and all the para-military groups operating in Euskal Herria, including the repressive operatives by the Guardia Civil.
Then, and only then, and with quite a few Spaniards involved in state sponsored acts of terrorism in jail, should Blazquez demand for ETA to ask for forgiveness from the families of victims of ETA's violence, many of whom are actually active members within the Partido Popular and other Spanish state repressive institutions; like the military, the Guardia Civil and the corrupt justice system.
But in the end, Blazquez opinion did bring something important to light, the backwards and vindicative position by these so called victims of terrorism. All we need to do is to read what the Buesa individual exressed:
This tells you just how much Buesa and his minions hate the Basques (Blazquez is Basque) and how little understanding they have of the religion they profess, Catholicism. If not, go ahead and recite the "Our Father", there is a part there that talks about asking for forgivness the way we forgive those who trespass against us, or something like that.
And before I go, who can forget the role that the Pope and the Catholic Church had in Franco's raise to power?
Not forgotten, and not forgiven
Spanish bishops' president urges victims, ETA to reconcile
Posted on May 23, 2006
The president of the Spanish bishops' conference said the Basque separatist group ETA should ask for forgiveness - and its victims should grant it - in order to achieve a lasting peace in Spain's Basque region. Speaking at a forum for political and business leaders in Madrid May 17, Bishop Ricardo Blazquez Perez of Bilbao said that achieving peace in the Basque region is difficult "because there are a lot of wounds there, because a lot of people died there and families have lost their loved ones." Bishop Blazquez, whose diocese is in the Basque region, said he appreciated the courage of the victims of terrorism, especially "the many who have already forgiven." He also called on ETA, which is classified by the United States and European Union as a terrorist organization, to bring a permanent end to the violence.
He said ETA must "definitively stop killing and extorting; definitively lay down its weapons; and no one should ever feel threatened" by them if peace is to be achieved. Although officials have expressed doubt about ETA's announcement of a cease-fire in March, Bishop Blazquez had expressed "feelings of relief and hope" at the cease-fire announcement. He added that the church is available if needed as a mediator in future negotiations. Mikel Buesa, president of a victims' organization, called for Bishop Blazquez's resignation as president of the bishops' conference and as bishop of Bilbao, according to the Madrid daily ABC. Buesa said Bishop Blazquez's comments that victims should pardon members of ETA "totally disqualifies him from serving as a pastor of souls," the paper reported.
Blazquez is right, a lot of wounds need some mending.
But he is plain wrong de moment he demands the first move from ETA, allow me to explain.
He asks for the members of ETA to ask for forgiveness from the victims of violence, that is, ETA's violence.
But let us remember here that ETA's violence was never the cause, but an effect.
In today's Spain, there is an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, and that is the scars that Franco's regime left in the Spanish society. ETA was pushed to their violent ways by Franco's genocidal regime first, and by the unability by "democratic" Spain to tackle important issues later.
So, the right thing to do is to demand for the living members of the Franco regime and their heirs within the Partido Popular (PP) to ask for forgiveness from the Spanish society. Blazquez should also demand from the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) and from the Partido Popular to ask for forgiveness from the Basque society for their actions against the Basques, including all the victims of state sponsored terrorism with its most virulent expressions in the Grupos Armados de Liberación (GAL) and all the para-military groups operating in Euskal Herria, including the repressive operatives by the Guardia Civil.
Then, and only then, and with quite a few Spaniards involved in state sponsored acts of terrorism in jail, should Blazquez demand for ETA to ask for forgiveness from the families of victims of ETA's violence, many of whom are actually active members within the Partido Popular and other Spanish state repressive institutions; like the military, the Guardia Civil and the corrupt justice system.
But in the end, Blazquez opinion did bring something important to light, the backwards and vindicative position by these so called victims of terrorism. All we need to do is to read what the Buesa individual exressed:
Buesa said Bishop Blazquez's comments that victims should pardon members of ETA "totally disqualifies him from serving as a pastor of souls,"...
This tells you just how much Buesa and his minions hate the Basques (Blazquez is Basque) and how little understanding they have of the religion they profess, Catholicism. If not, go ahead and recite the "Our Father", there is a part there that talks about asking for forgivness the way we forgive those who trespass against us, or something like that.
And before I go, who can forget the role that the Pope and the Catholic Church had in Franco's raise to power?
Not forgotten, and not forgiven
.... ... .
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