Vatican denies beatifications are politically motivated

THE beatification of 498 Catholics killed during the Spanish Civil War was not politically motivated, the Vatican’s number two said yesterday.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone defended Sunday’s ceremony, the largest mass beatification in Church history, in a sermon during a Mass said for tens of thousands of pilgrims who came to Rome for the event.

The ceremony revived bitter memories of a divisive conflict and was seen by some as an implicit criticism of Spain’s socialist government, which has been at odds with the Church over issues such as gay marriage and divorce.