Maria San Gil and José Masip: «We want to proclaim our faith in all aspects of life».»

The Catholics and Public Life Congress is one of the key events for Catholic thought and action in society. This edition, the 27th, will bring together in Madrid, from November 14 to 16, thinkers such as Kevin Roberts, of the Foundation Heritage, scientists such as Enrique Solano, president of the Spanish Society of Catholic Scientists, influencers such as Pep Borrell or activist Loren Saleh, 

In the final stages of the Jubilee Year of Hope, this has been the theme chosen as the focus of the conference in which, as its coordinators, Maria San Gil and Jose Masip, emphasize, “we want to spread and proclaim our faith in all aspects of our life. We want to show that we are a university, that we are Catholics and that we are in public life. 

Soft-spoken Catholics?

The congress, now in its 27th year, has touched on numerous themes in this more than quarter of a century, although reflection on Catholic identity in the various spheres of public life continues to be a hot topic. 

In this sense, Masip emphasizes that “there are ideologies that have prevailed, especially in Europe, in the West, and that have influenced the ‘party’ politician to be afraid to identify with certain positions on very specific issues: the family, life..., but I believe that this gap is being overcome. Catholics must commit themselves in life, in society and, therefore, act and do so in accordance with their principles. Principles are proposed in public life, they are not imposed”.

In addition, the congress coordinator points out, “apart from party politics, there is another politics, another public life that is not strictly speaking politics, such as journalism, life in associations, in movements that transmit and capillarize society much more”. 

The motto of this edition, “You, hope.”, has different readings. The hope placed in action and personal responsibility, the hope of God, which is the end of the life of Christians... First you have to be Catholic, you have to be the hope that you must be, the rest, commit yourself to it and act accordingly.

Young people are responding to God more than ever before

The Catholics and Public Life Congress coincides, this year, with the publication of a trend that seems to be settling in Spain: the return to the religious sphere, to the spiritual life, especially among the youth. 

Commenting on this situation, José Masip stresses that “worse times will come. That's for sure. I am not saying this in an ashen way, it is what the Gospel says. But fortunately, we are now at a time when young people are responding more sincerely to the word of God than in the past”. 

A position shared by María San Gil: “I am Basque. There the secularization has turned what was once a land of vocations into a wasteland. As it happens in Catalonia, for example. I think they are very different realities depending on where you live and how you live it. We want to tend, of course, to what happens in cities like Madrid, where you enter a church and it is normal to find young people. What do we have to do? Sow. But the important thing in this sowing is not the quantity, but the quality,

This year, as in the last edition, there will only be one congress without a “division“ of young people. A clear commitment by Masip to “include young people in everything. They are as responsible for this as the older ones. I always say that the divisions of young people in political parties are for ‘not to bother’, and that can not be. Of course, we have pointed out the need for more young people on the organizing committee. There are, but there could be more. 

A congress with a Eucharistic presence

One of the highlights of this conference will be the eucharistic adoration that will take place during the three days of the Congress. A possibility of prayer that highlights, in the words of Maria San Gil “that the Blessed Sacrament is the center. The theme of presence in public life is clear to us, because the speakers are public figures, very well known, but we wanted to give the importance of God present in the Eucharist”.

Also, in this edition, the Masses will be central points of the program and there will be priests to hear confessions. Something that, as San Gil says, “was born almost naturally, because last year, it was announced in one of the conferences that there was a priest to confess and there was a flood of confessions”. 

The success of the Congress? To continue to do so

27 years after the first Catholics and Public Life Congress, The success of this event is, for its organizers, “the very fact of doing it one more year”. The political, social, cultural and religious circumstances in Spain, since November 1999, have changed a lot, “however, the Catholic Association of Propagandists and CEU continue to support this congress. This is very commendable,” said María San Gil.

“We continue to walk, adds Masip, “when Pope Francis, declared the Year of Hope wrote that ‘the solution to weariness, paradoxically, is not to stop and rest, but rather to set out on the road and become pilgrims of hope’. This is what we seek and do with Catholics and Public Life.