Overview
- Luis Argüello, president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, said that “when a State forgets ethics it becomes a band of thieves” during a summer course, a remark widely reported on Thursday.
- Félix Bolaños, the minister who handles relations with the Church, sent a formal reproach to Argüello and several ministers publicly demanded apologies, saying the language was offensive and partisan.
- Argüello later said the phrase was a citation of St. Augustine about the State in general, acknowledged occasional spontaneity in his speech, and denied he intended to single out the current government.
- Parts of the Church signalled distance from Argüello’s wording, with the Catalan episcopate publicly disowning the remark, while opinion pages and outlets on different sides of the spectrum framed the row in contrasting ways.
- The episode follows Argüello’s earlier political interventions and the recent papal visit, and it could weaken the Church’s public standing and sharpen party rhetoric before national contests, so observers will watch for further exchanges, retractions, or formal steps from the CEE.