“Voting with freedom and principle is an expression of Christian commitment”, declared Archbishop Agustín García-Gasco of Valencia, commenting on the administrative elections held throughout Spain on 25 May. The results of the local elections showed an increase in the Socialist vote, even if the national government remains that of the People’s Party. Since no “single Catholic solution” exists, the Archbishop had invited the electors to vote for the parties able to respect the Catholic scale of values. “Male and female religious, leave your convents to participate in the elections as members of the society in which we live”, was the Archbishop’s appeal. “We should not forget he said that elsewhere in the world citizens don’t have the opportunity to vote, and even in some areas of Spain violent men are trying to intimidate the candidates and electors who reject nationalism”.
