Spanish cardinal rejects negotiations with Basque terrorists

Madrid, Spain, Jul 6, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Responding the news that the Spanish government will hold peace negotiations with the Basque separatist group ETA, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares of Toledo said political negotiations with terrorism are useless and that, “the only thing that works is for it to disappear.”

“Who are we going to dialogue with? A bunch of terrorists?” the cardinal questioned, saying that terrorism can never be justified and pointing to a statement by the Spanish bishops that declared terrorism to be, “intrinsically perverse and unjustifiable.”

“Therefore, you cannot negotiate politically with terrorism, the only thing that works is for it to disappear, for ETA to be definitively dissolved, but nobody has said this,” the cardinal stated.

Speaking on the COPE radio network, Cardinal Cañizares said the unity of Europe is a moral good that is being weakened, troubling “many people.”  He also noted the importance of a Europe united by, “a common tradition, a commonly shared history and solidarity.”  In fact, he emphasized, there are many moral goods that are in jeopardy in Europe today.

Cardinal Cañizares also underscored the need to support and strengthen the family, founded upon marriage that is, “exclusive and indissoluble between a man and a woman,” as it is “the future of humanity.”