Spanish Bishops Clarify Leo XIV's Remarks Against "Far Right" Politics

On 24 February, the Spanish Bishops’ Conference stated that, during their meeting with Pope Leo XIV last November, he had warned them about "the risks of subjecting faith to ideologies":

"Pope Leo XIV received us with special affection, listened to all the members of the Commission, and encouraged us in our commitment to evangelising, to which the Church in Spain is dedicated. The Holy Father also encouraged communion among all the members and institutions that make up the Church."

The statement adds: "In the dialogue, the Pope reflected on the risks of aligning faith with ideologies without referencing any particular group."

The statement functions as a formal clarification. On Monday, newspaper El País reported that Leo XIV had expressed concern to the Spanish bishops about the risk of the far right attempting to instrumentalise the Church, particularly with regard to issues such as migration. However, the original report did not claim that the Pope named any specific political party (Vox).

Following the November meeting, the Spanish bishops moved even closer to the Spanish Socialist Government, particularly on the issues of compensation for alleged abuse victims and migration.

Picture: Vatican Media, #newsGtoeicjjdh