• Direct. Last minute about the coronavirus
  • Politics Pedro Sánchez avoids reprimanding Pablo Iglesias for the attacks on the press but stresses that he has never done them

The Almudena Cathedral hosts the first funeral for the victims of the coronavirus pandemic. A religious act promoted by the Episcopal Conference attended by the Kings and their daughters, as well as by various authorities and representatives of other religious denominations, as reported by the Episcopal Conference (EEC), but not by Pedro Sánchez. The Prime Minister has traveled to Lisbon this Monday , and although there is no event on his agenda during the afternoon - the ceremony is at 8:00 pm - it will be Carmen Calvo who will come on behalf of the Government.

This funeral mass takes place 10 days before the institutional tribute that the Government has organized on July 16 at the Royal Palace , an act of a secular nature, and which is also expected to be attended by the Kings and national and European authorities. It will be chaired by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Carlos Osoro and concelebrated by Bishops from various Spanish dioceses, including Cardinal Juan José Omella , Archbishop of Barcelona and President of the Episcopal Conference.

Sánchez traveled to Portugal on Monday where he met with the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa . A private lunch was the last act on his agenda at 3.30 p.m.

From Moncloa it has been emphasized that she will be the first vice president, Carmen Calvo, who represents the Government at this funeral "organized by the Episcopal Conference." A position that Sánchez himself has defended from Lisbon. Nor has a minister from Unidas Podemos attended.

Yes, in addition to Calvo, the president of the Congress, Meritxell Batet; the president of the Senate, Pilar Llop; the president of the Constitutional Court, Juan José González Rivas ; the president of the Supreme Court and the General Council of the Judiciary, Carlos Lesmes ; the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso; or the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.

PP criticism

The opposition has criticized the absence of the Prime Minister at this funeral mass organized by the Episcopal Conference. The PP general secretary, Teodoro García Egea, visiting Vitoria , has described as "very serious" that he does not go. "It commits a serious error", has been the consideration of number two of the PP. "This afternoon 40,000 people will be missing and also the Prime Minister, who has decided to go to Portugal instead of being with the victims," ​​he said, adding, "the importance of having rulers who are sensitive to people's problems and the tragedy that we have lived".

Although the Constitution establishes the principle of non-denominational State, it is customary in Spain to celebrate a funeral mass for those who died in major catastrophes, attacks ... An act that is usually attended by the Kings and the highest representatives of the State, including the President of the goverment. This was the case, for example, in August 2017, in the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia on the occasion of the mass tribute to the victims of the jihadist attacks in Catalonia. In addition to the Kings, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy; that of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, and the mayors of Barcelona, ​​Ada Colau; or Madrid, Manuela Carmena.

The absence of Sánchez, however, is not the only controversy that surrounds the act. TVE had no plans to offer the ceremony in its entirety on one of its main channels. On other occasions, the public network has broadcast funeral masses. From the 24 hours channel, it has been connected and offered excerpts such as Osoro's homily. The full signal has been offered through the digital application +24. This circumstance has led the PP to accuse the sole administrator of RTVE, Rosa María Mateo, of trying to "minimize" the pandemics due to the coronavirus due to the fact that it was not broadcast by the public - it is broadcast by 13TV -.

For the PP this act is "one of the most relevant in memory of those killed by the Covi19", as they have stated in a press release, and that leads them to "regret" the attitude that Mateo maintains in this regard. In her opinion, the sole administrator has allowed RTVE "to join the guidelines of the Sánchez government, trying to hide the total number of deaths and the tragedy of the victims."

"They are only governed by the political slogan of the Sánchez government, manipulating in a sectarian and offensive way the obligation that, as a plural and independent public service, it should fulfill: retransmit the funeral in memory of those killed by Covid-19," emphasizes the popular formation in an initiative registered in Congress.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • PP
  • Pedro Sánchez
  • Carmen Calvo
  • Mariano Rajoy
  • Rosa María Mateo
  • Teodoro García Egea
  • Manuela Carmena
  • Carles Puigdemont
  • Ada Colau
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19
  • Madrid
  • Portugal
  • Barcelona
  • Senate
  • constitutional Court
  • Supreme court
  • Catalonia
  • General Council of the Judiciary
  • Spain
  • Isabel Díaz Ayuso
  • Meritxell Batet
  • Pilar Llop

Congress PSOE and Unidas Podemos approve, among strong criticisms, the reconstruction plans with the support of Citizens

Health crisis The keys to a unanimous agreement for the city of Madrid: trust between groups and abandoning "political flags"

Events Three men are arrested for a murder in Santa Coloma and the mayor creates an anti-crime police unit due to the increase in insecurity

See links of interest

  • News
  • Translator
  • Programming
  • Calendar
  • Horoscope
  • Classification
  • League calendar
  • Films
  • Themes
  • Villarreal - Barcelona
  • Levante - Real Sociedad
  • Tottenham Hotspur - Everton
  • Seville - Eibar