Madrid, Spain, Jun 22, 2009 / 13:10 pm
The Spanish Bishops’ Conference issued a statement condemning the killing of a policeman in the city of Arrigorriaga on June 19. The Basque separatist group ETA carried out the attack which took the life of Officer Antonio Puelles Garcia. The bishops condemned the act as “perverse and completely unjustified.”
In their statement, the bishops said, “Terrorism pursues the spread of terror in order to produce a state of weakness in the legitimate public order, which allows them to impose their beliefs by force, at the expense of the most fundamental human rights, such as the right to life and freedom. This end can never be shared,” the bishops said.
They went on to express their gratitude to all those in the police and law enforcement communities who work to defeat terrorism and employ every legitimate means to disband the terrorist group ETA.
The bishops extended their deepest sympathies to the family of the fallen officer and called on Catholics to unite in prayer for the eternal repose of Puelles Garcia’s soul and for the consolation of his family members.