“Signs of détente also in favour of ETA exponents in prison are needed”, suggests Bishop José María Uriarte of San Sebastián. The bishop was speaking in favour of peace in the Basque Provinces in a homily he gave at the Franciscan sanctuary of Arantzazu, during the celebration of the solemnity of the Virgin of Aranzazu, on 9 September. “A large majority in this country believes that the conditions for achieving peace are more favourable today”, said Bishop Uriarte. Even if “the road to peace is difficult”, he added, we need to “create signs of détente” to be able to “continue to hope in the proximity of peace”. To this end, he proposed that “violent actions be avoided, economic extortions eliminated, gestures of solidarity with the victims expressed, just laws applied with a broad and conciliatory spirit, and the situation of prison detainees and their families humanized”. He also underlined “the need for everyone to suspend any decision and conduct that may sow alarm and mistrust, and scrupulously respect everyone’s human rights in terms of integrity, security and dignity”. “Apart from signs of détente he continued patience also needs to be practised in the present situation. We Christians know very well that active and suffering patience is the child of the virtue of hope”. “The patient attitude must be complemented by discretion”, “accompanied by fairness to all the parties involved. The opportunism that places personal interests above the common good of peace and prefers what is convenient to say to what is fair and genuine truth, corrupts the relation and generates mistrust in the real intentions of the interlocutors”, he concluded.
