Shocked, not vanquished” “” “

An unprecedented terrorist massacre has shocked Spain: ten almost simultaneous explosions in the railway stations of Atocha, El Pozo and Santa Eugenia in Madrid devastated three commuter trains during the rush hour yesterday morning, 11 March. The attacks came in the immediate run-up to Sunday’s general elections. So far 200 are reported dead, over 1400 injured, many seriously. The authorities think those responsible for the blasts are the Basque separatists of ETA but don’t exclude an international conspiracy. Here are some of the first reactions from the ecclesial and political world in Spain and Europe. From the Holy See. “Firm and absolute reprobation” for “unjustifiable acts” that “offend God, violate the fundamental right to life and undermine peaceful co-existence”: so says the Pope in the telegram of condolence for the victims. “On learning the sad news of the execrable terrorist outrages – says the telegram sent by John Paul II to Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid, through Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano – which have caused so many deaths and large numbers of injured among citizens going to work, and which have so cruelly plunged their families and Spanish society in general into grief, the Pope wishes to repeat his firm and absolute reprobation of such unjustifiable acts that offend God, violate the fundamental right to life and undermine the peaceful co-existence deeply yearned for by the ecclesial community and by the noble Spanish people”. The apostolic nuncio in Spain Msgr. Manuel Monteiro De Castro, has called the terrorist attacks “repugnant”: “What has happened is an event of unexampled gravity. We are all devastated by grief”. On the eve of the general elections scheduled for Sunday, the hope expressed by the Nuncio is that the “Spanish people may unite even more closely together against the threat posed by a tiny minority”. “The civil and political conscience of the country – he declared – must emerge”. The parties running for the elections themselves “are united in their firm condemnation of these attacks”. “In this moment – he concluded – all we can do is pray for the victims and for their families asking the Lord that such acts may never be repeated again”. From the Spanish Church. “This morning’s news is dreadful and has caused enormous grief. There are many dead and injured. The explosions were devastating”: that was the immediate reaction of the archbishop of Madrid and president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, in a statement released to SIR: “We were not expecting an outrage of this kind – said the cardinal -; it’s been a long time since the terrorism of ETA has struck Spain with an attack of this nature. Only a few weeks ago – he added – the police had foiled an action of this type. ETA terrorism had already been condemned by the Spanish Episcopal Conference in November 2002”. It was “a blanket condemnation of terrorism and all those who collaborate with it in whatever form”. “Now we need to remain close to all the victims of terrorism, those of today and those of past years, and to pray for their families”, says the cardinal. “For many years now Spain has been the victim of ETA terrorism. That’s why the conversion of Christians to the law of God, invoking his mercy for all those who have suffered, is needed”. According to the archbishop of Madrid, “there’s no such thing as good terrorism or bad terrorism. Terrorism cannot be justified. It must be clearly condemned”. To do so, “we need to sever every root, dismiss every reason that justifies terrorism and reveal the falsity and evil of this position”. The antidote to terrorism does exist: “man must consider all his fellowmen as his brothers, respect the dignity of the person and defend the fundamental right to life. Only by genuinely converting to Christ can man respond to the evil and the sin committed against his brothers”. A condemnation of the attacks in Madrid and a plea to ETA to “stop killing” also comes from Cardinal Ricardo Maria Carles, archbishop of Barcelona, in a message sent to the archbishop of Madrid. “Moved by the tragedy that has struck the population of the archdiocese of Madrid today – writes Cardinal Maria Carles -, I express my personal grief and solidarity, and that of my diocese, to all of you”. “Once again – says Cardinal Carles – we condemn these outrages and repeat to ETA that the only thing for it to do is to announce its disbandment and stop killing. The cardinal also reaffirms the condemnation, “of all those who, in whatever form, support or justify terrorism”. “In this land that has suffered many terrorist attacks – the cardinal says in his statement – we feel a deep sense of solidarity with all those who still suffer from this scourge, and especially with the new victims, the injured and their families, the friends and colleagues of this peaceful people who were going to work early in the morning”. Meanwhile the Spanish Episcopal Conference has once again published on line on its website www.conferenciaepiscopal.es the document of November 2002 expressing “Moral evaluations on terrorism in Spain, its cause and consequences”. The same website also publishes the comments of the bishops of Bilbao, Malaga and Santander and the condemnation of Caritas Spain, Manos Unidas and Spanish Catholic Action. Meanwhile in the cathedral and in all the parishes of Madrid the Eucharists of the day were dedicated to prayer for the victims and their families. “An act that recalls, in its methods, 11 September”. “It’s the worst massacre in the history of terrorist attacks in Spain, something comparable in its philosophy to the attacks of 11 September, which occurred exactly two and a half years ago”, comments the Madrid-based expert José Francisco Serrano, author of the book “The Church in response to the terrorism of ETA” and editor in chief of the online Catholic paper “Alfa y omega”. According to Serrano “there’s undoubtedly a link with international terrorism; there are many coincidence with the methods it uses, atrocious methods such as the utter disregard for human life”. “The murderous face of this terrorist band has finally revealed itself for what it is – he said to SIR -. The scenarios of the political elections will change as a result: the Spanish people will probably demand of the political class a definitive action not only of the police but also at the cultural and social level to root out the terrorism of ETA”. In his view, “this was an attack against the State, and against the moral principles that sustain the rule of law”. Serrano thinks that there are also international implications to this terrorist act and possible links with other criminal organizations, given that “Spain is a member of the European Union, and is playing an important role at the present time in relations within the Atlantic Alliance”. European Parliament, “we shall defeat terrorism in the Union”. The flags of Spain and the European Union were flying at half-mast at the headquarters of the European institutions on 11 March, in mourning for the terrorist attacks that have shocked Madrid. The plenary session of the European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, began in a sombre mood, with some deputies in tears. The president Pat Cox gave a brief speech in which he informed the chamber of what had happened, expressing his “profound grief” and “grave concern”. He then expressed “the Assembly’s condolences to the families of the victims and the closest solidarity with the Spanish people and democracy””, struck “by the worst act of violence just on the eve of the general elections”. Cox then urged Spain “to react with determination”, and said it could count on “the support of the European Union in combating terrorism”. “Throughout the Union – Cox added – there will be no safe haven for any terrorist. No more bombs. No more victims. Europe today is shocked by these attacks, but we, all of us, shall sweep terrorism away”. Present in the assembly, which then observed a minute’s silence, was also the Spanish EU Commissioner Pedro Solbes, who appeared shaken by what had happened. In Brussels the Prodi Commission is closely monitoring the development of the situation in Spain and public pronouncements are awaited from the Commission itself and the Council of Europe.