Torture must never be used, even in the fight against terrorism, says Spanish bishop

Oñati, Spain, Sep 10, 2009 / 11:53 am

Bishop Juan Maria Uriarte of San Sebastian in Spain warned this week that torture must never be used even in the fight against "the abominable evil of terrorism."

Bishop Uriarte noted that the delicate political conflicts in the Basque region of Spain must be resolved through dialogue, which is "the unavoidable path towards peace."

During a homily at the Mass in honor of Our Lady of Arantzazu, the bishop said that at time when many are feeling despair about the future, "We must spread the hope" that "has its foundation in God who never lets go of us."

When conflicts in society appears to be getting worse, he continued, there needs to be a strong and decisive rejection of violence, and public officials must appropriately respond, "with respect for the rights of the human person, which must not be deprived even for the most hardened criminals."

While it can be easy to set aside our moral beliefs for the sake of political expediency, the bishop said, "we must clearly state that for morality…the gravest of all crimes is that of murder."

In this sense, he warned, "not even to prevent the abominable evil of terrorism should the application of torture ever be allowed."