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Madrid, March 3, 2023._For the former mayoress of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, "Francisco is the only leader who condemns our inhumanity towards migrants, he was my main support to continue supporting the reception of refugees." This is what the judge and lawyer stated before the tenth anniversary of his election as Pope on March 13.

Carmena participated yesterday in a colloquium organized by the magazine Vida Nueva and the PPC publishing house, in which the general secretary of the Episcopal Conference, César García Magán, and the historian Juan María Laboa also participated. The event took place in the Madrid auditorium of the Pérez-Llorca law firm, which collaborated in organizing the event together with Banco Sabadell.

Under the title 'Ten years with Francisco, evolution or revolution?', the speakers discussed the reforms and the social impact of the first Latin American pontiff in the history of the Church.

"They criticize the Pope and me for being good, but I refuse to be 'bad'," said Manuela Carmena, who in these years has forged a close friendship with the Pope "from my position as a non-believer." "He is the Pope of humanism," she declared.

For his part, García Magán defended the authority of Francis and the reforms of the "Pope of synodality and integral ecology" in the face of latent resistance in some ecclesial sectors. The auxiliary bishop of Toledo also appreciated that these criticisms are "anti-ecclesial positions" from "a theological absurdity."

Laboa, author of History of the Popes (PPC) defined Francis as "the Pope of the Council". Among the seven pontiffs he has known, since Pius XII, he highlighted that "all have had an important relationship with Spain", although "the most important" have sometimes been "frowned upon" from our country. And he gave Paul VI and Francis himself as an example.

About PPC

PPC, SM's religious hallmark, is present in society through dialogue, at the same time that it wants to be an expression of open dialogue with the world through books and publications, betting on the culture of encounter from Christian humanism. Present in Spain and Latin America, PPC publishes essays, catechetical itineraries, and magazines -such as Vida Nueva and Religión y Escuela- aimed at children, youth and adults.

www.ppc-editorial.com

For more information:

comunicationsm@ info.grupo-sm.com / comunicacionppc@ppc-editorial.com

Communication SM Spain

comunicacionsm@info.grupo-sm.com

Carmen Palomino

Round Goretti