The bishops of the 10 Catalan dioceses have called, in a letter published this morning, for "a serene reflection on the preventive detention" of Oriol Junqueras, Joaquim Forn, Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez.
The prelates believe that this step is necessary to "foster the climate of dialogue" which, in their opinion, "we need so much", and emphasised that the "personal circumstances of those affected" have to be taken into account. Moreover, they defended the "moral legitimacy" of the Catalan parties which "are based on respect for the inalienable dignity of the people and peoples and are peacefully and democratically defended".
They said it's necessary that the "elected parliamentarians should promote the democratic mechanisms to form a new government" which acts with "a sense of responsibility towards all the groups in the country, especially those most necessary to overcome the consequences of the institutional, economical and social crisis we're living through".
The bishops say they cannot "ignore nor disparage" the fact that in Catalonia there is "a political problem of prime importance which obliges us to look for a fair solution which is minimally acceptable for everyone". They also call "to make an effort to rebuild the mutual trust within a society like ours, in which there is a great cultural, political and also religious plurality". "Social cohesion, harmony, feeling that we're close to one another and respect for the rights of all the people who live in Catalonia has to be one of our priority objectives at this time," they write.
Finally, they call on Catholics to be "instruments of peace and reconciliation in Catalan society" and to not stop praying "for peace and justice in Catalonia".