Catholic priests in Spain's Basque region have taken the unusual step of criticizing Pope Benedict XVI's choice of bishop for San Sebastian, media reports said Wednesday. Nearly 80 per cent of the priests in the diocese of the port city said Jose Ignacio Munilla, who is due to become bishop in January, was not 'suitable' for the post.
The priests issued a manifesto describing the choice of Munilla as 'discrediting the ecclesiastical life of our diocese.'
The protest, which was described as unprecedented in the recent history of Spain's Catholic Church, was believed to have a political background.
The Basque church is known as being relatively progressive and sympathetic to the Basque nationalist movement, which contains separatist currents.
Munilla, on the other hand, is known as being close to the conservative line of Madrid Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco, head of the Spanish bishops' conference, who was believed to have recommended him to the pope.
'A part of the Basque church has shown more sympathy for the killers (of the violent separatist group ETA) than for their victims,' the daily El Mundo charged.
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