Nuncio in Spain warns freedom and power are weakened by exclusion of God

Madrid, Spain, Nov 20, 2005 / 22:00 pm

The Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, said last week freedom and power are weakened when God is excluded from society, adding that the "Eucharist is the nourishment that gives Christians the strength to be truly free."

During the inauguration of the 7^th Congress on Catholics and Public Life, organized by the San Pablo University Foundation, Archbishop Monteiro explained that "young people are anxiously seeking liberty, justice and truth; unfortunately, many times they are fooled by proposals of a freedom that is not founded in God."

In the relationship between Eucharist and freedom, he added, "the former always maintains its message of building a society in which trust in God, communion, solidarity and authentic freedom prevail."

The president of the San Pablo Foundation, Alfonso Coronel de Palma, encouraged participants to open their hearts to Christ, and he insisted that freedom be the central theme of the Congress, as many Spaniards today are not experiencing it.

The Congress on Catholics and Public Life was held in Madrid with the intention of promoting the participation of Catholics in society and encouraging them to live their faith consistently both in private and in public.