Hit the Pope: The Spanish Church has elected the leader of the conservatives president of its Episcopal Conference

The blow to Pope Francis he was hit directly with the defeat of the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid José Cobos, relegated to the vice-presidency, in the election of the authorities of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, in which the Archbishop of Valladolid, Monsignor Luis Argüello, 70 years old, was consecrated president for a period of four years years, leader of the Conservatives.

The victory of the conservatives is even more sensational if we take into account that the most traditionalists voted for Monsignor José Sanz, archbishop of Oviedo, who came third, making the disaster of the Bergoglian progressives more evident by the 80 Episcopalians who voted.

In a Spain of 48.5 million inhabitants in which the right is growing, a trend that is spreading to all European countries, with the Popular Party and the Vox extremists who are preparing to govern the country one day, the conservative victory increases the autumnal contrast with the progressives of the outgoing president of the Episcopal Conference, the Cardinal Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Juan José Omella, fully identified with the Pope’s progressive line.

Omella and the Pope himself had found in the cardinal archbishop of Madrid, José Cobos, the continuity sought in such a special moment for the future of the Church, with the 87-year-old pontiff, in delicate health, and a Synod of Synods that will have to face in October fundamental changes to some major problems that have divided the Catholic world.

Monsignor Argüello, who so far has failed to get promoted cardinal by the Pope, who instead granted the purple to Omella (Barcelona) and Cobos (Madrid), must now make an effort to avoid divisions in the Episcopal Conference, where ideological polarization grows. Between traditionalists and pre-conciliarists, Spain presents, together with the Polish Church, a large majority of conservatives at a European level.

The power

In an interview Argüello demonstrated that he is ready to face power. “With the government of the nation it has always been easier to discuss agreements on economic-patrimonial issues than on issues that have to do with our vision of life, anthropology, education and so on”.

Takes the archbishop of Valladolid vice-president of the Epicopa Conference for four years alreadyExcept that this practice allows you to manage yourself with ease. For example in difficult problems such as cases of abuse of clergy. On Monday and Tuesday the victims of abuse protested in front of the door of the Episcopal Conference. Monsignor Argüello and Cardinal Cobo, after their election, came to greet them and underlined that they know that the wound is not closed and that they will pay the utmost attention to it.

The triumph of the conservative Luis Arguello is being metabolised among the Vatican’s top leaders, counterbalanced by the election of Cardinal José Cobo, a Bergoglian, as vice-president of Madrid.

Argüello underlined the “communion of bishops”. “We are one part, the part of the Gospel.”

Many have not forgotten that, a few days ago, some Spanish priests invited, with a smile, on a radio station in Toledo to pray like them. “so that the Holy Father goes to heaven as soon as possible”. Of course they later apologized, which means very little.

The Spanish Church maintains significant influence in Spanish society, especially “through education, the media, popular festivals and even the pulpit, especially among the elderly,” as one medium explained.