iiidialogosupsaSalamanca Pontifical University (UPSA) Faculties of Theology, Canon Law and Philosophy have opened the ‘III Yuste dialogues’ in collaboration with European Academy of Yuste Foundation, entitled ‘Religion, secular society and violence’. The university’s Dean, Mirian de las Mercedes Cortés Diéguez; María José Muriel Santurino, the Foundation’s Coordinator; and P. Pablo Stepkowski, Prior of the Royal Monastery of Yuste all took part in the debate.

Speaking at the event, the Dean of UPSA highlighted the work the Foundation does “to promote true European values, memory and European cultural heritage”. She also expressed her gratitude to the Caja de Extremadura Banking Foundation for supporting the event. The Dean ended her address by alluding to the words of Pope Pablo VI in his Encyclical Ecclesiam suam, with a reference to “dialogue being the new name for the relationship between the Church and the world today”.

The Foundation’s Coordinator went on to explain how the Campus Yuste programme “includes training activities to debate and reflect on the past, present, and future themes of the EU”, adding that “the EU is based on a solid commitment to defending Human Rights and we hope this initiative sheds light on these questions”.

Prior of the Royal Monastery of Yuste, P. Pablo Stepkowski, described the Royal Monastery as “the perfect place to seek questions and find the answers”.

In the opening speech, Event Coordinator and Vice-chancellor of the Faculty of Philosophy, Jesús Conderana Cerrillo, drew similarities between the ‘Yuste Dialogues’ and the values of UPSA on linking “faith, culture, and life, encouraging open dialogue, and the human capacity to seek out good and defend the greatness of liberty”.

José Manuel Suárez Robledano, Court of Auditors Magistrate and professor of Private International Law at Complutense University of Madrid spoke in the first dialogue entitled ‘Can violence disappear in a secular society’. In it, he referred to corruption as “a form of violence”, adding that the fundamental purpose of law is to maintain social peace “eliminating instances of revenge and private justice: democratically chosen and legitimately established power, with a respect for basic rights, must be at the heart of the response”. Suárez Robledano also said that for a democratic system to exist, minorities must be given respect, alluding to the concept of ‘Rule of Law’ in which “Law imposes peace to avoid the type of personal, inter-subjective conflicts that can give rise to higher levels of violence”.

The Director of the University Liaison Office for Development and Volunteering, and Developmental Psychology lecturer at the University of Exremadura, Inmaculada Sánchez Casado, outlined the skills citizens must have to live in a world free from violence: “be creative; acquire inter-cultural skills; have the capacity to handle a large volume of facts; to minimise deductive processes and back the type of content that intensifies our anger; be literate in new technology tools; self-manage content and evaluate new means of media communication”.

The day continued into the afternoon with the second dialogue, asking the question ‘Can religion offer secular society its own contribution to civic co-existence?’. Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, Luis García Matamoro, said that “the only absolute right is the right to freedom of thought, to consciousness, and to religion: that is where a person’s dignity resides, and nobody can give that up”. The Dean handed over to Monseñor Juan del Río who examined religious fact in an era of globalisation; the contribution of religion to peaceful coexistence; and the exploitation of religion.  Monseñor Juan del Río Martín said how it is important to not confuse the spiritual crisis of Europe with global society: “Religion is not something you have, and then disregard. Faith in God is not a source of war, but peace”, he said. Discussing the subject of the exploitation of religion, the Military Archdiocese described fundamentalism and fanaticism as “practices contrary to human dignity”.

He handed over to Jesús Málaga Guerrero, ex-UPSA professor, ex-Mayor of Salamanca, and ex-Deputy Delegate of Government in the Salamanca province.  Málaga Guerrero made reference to serious issues facing society and different types of violence such as abuse against women, also referring to the role women play in the Church. He said: “The female sex has been relegated to auxiliary work in religion and it is incomprehensible that there are no women in higher positions or positions of responsibility in the Catholic Church” but added that “Pope Francis appears to have taken steps to partially correct the marginalisation of women in the Catholic Church”. The ex-Mayor also referred to violence in the family, above all against children and babies, as well as mentioning paedophilia in the Church, stressing the “courageous stance” taken by Pope Francis who “has managed to bring to light hidden cases of paedophilia in the Church”. The speaker also discussed violence against older people and other instances of international violence, such as that which in his view Republican candidate Donald Trump represents, “with racist proclamations, and his view of women and black people as inferior beings”.  Other themes explored by the speaker were the marginalisation of peripheral neighbourhoods, seeing them as “breeding grounds of latent and explicit violence which are very difficult to eradicate”.

Málaga Guerrero went on to mention violence in prisons, and the incurable issue of mental health; “a problem still unresolved in the first world”, he said. The professor concluded by mentioning forms of violence we consider to be new, such as violence against animals: “cases of animal neglect are unworthy of human beings”; and violence against heritage: “a threat to global culture”.

He finished by speaking about religious wars, describing them as “a nightmare for humanity: they are the hardest and most difficult to resolve, because resentment and hatred simmer hidden below the surface”.