Minister Félix Bolaños has come to the defense of the Cardinal of Madrid, José Cobo, amid the growing controversy over the future of the Valle de los Caídos, assuring that the «resignification» of the site is not a personal agreement of the archbishop, but a pact with the Vatican itself.
“There was no agreement with Cardinal Cobo, which I signed, but rather an agreement with the Vatican” - he affirmed in statements collected by Religión Digital during an interview on the program Al Rojo Vivo— in an evident attempt to deactivate the criticisms directed at the Madrid prelate.
Accusations against the “not very contemporary” sectors
Bolaños did not limit himself to defending Cobo. He also lashed out at those within the Church who question the transformation of the Valle de los Caídos, labeling them as “not very contemporary” sectors.
“The Spanish Church is a plural organization,” the minister affirmed, adding that within that plurality there are sectors that “understand worse” that the Valle must become a space of memory in line with the current Spain.
A statement that reproduces the official discourse of the Executive and that, in practice, delegitimizes those who defend the religious and foundational character of the site.
Bolaños himself acknowledged that there are “brutal pressures” around the Archbishop of Madrid, in a context marked by internal tensions and growing media exposure.
The Valley, a key piece of the Government’s agenda
Far from being a one-off issue, the minister placed the «resignification» of the Valley among the main agreements reached with the Church, alongside issues such as inmatriculations, taxation, or abuses.
In this way, the Executive confirms that the future of the Valle de los Caídos is part of a broader strategy to redefine relations with the Church in Spain.
In that line, Bolaños insisted that the objective is for the Valley to stop being what he implicitly described as a symbol of the past, to become a space aligned with the democratic narrative.
The Vatican as a political argument
The constant appeal to the Vatican as guarantor of the agreement raises serious doubts about the use that the Government is making of the authority of the Holy See in this matter.
Presenting the «resignification» of the Valley as a decision already backed by Rome not only seeks to close the debate, but also to neutralize any opposition within the Spanish Church.