The Contentious-Administrative Court No. 1 of Palencia has ruled in favor of Abogados Cristianos and has annulled the decision of the Dueñas Town Hall (Palencia) to remove the cross and the image of the Sacred Heart located in Peace Square. The ruling—dated September 29 and publicly notified between September 30 and October 1—also requires the Town Hall and Izquierda Unida, along with two individuals who promoted the measure, to pay the court costs.
A cross accused of being a “Francoist vestige”
The Town Hall had approved demolishing the monument by invoking the so-called Democratic Memory Law, arguing that it was a Francoist vestige. However, the court has pointed out that the ensemble is above all a religious symbol and cannot be removed without solid evidence that it serves to exalt the regime. Since this purpose was not proven, the judge has decided that the cross and the image of the Sacred Heart must remain in place, reminding that religious freedom and the expression of faith are part of the common heritage of society.
The response from Abogados Cristianos
Polonia Castellanos, president and founder of Abogados Cristianos, celebrated the ruling with a clear message:
“From Abogados Cristianos, we have good news: we have won the ruling to protect the cross in Dueñas. We need judges to respect our religious freedom, for the government to stop attacking Catholics, and for our symbols, which are also part of our fundamental right, to stop being constantly attacked. This cross is just one more that we have managed to protect, but we will not rest in the fight to protect all our monuments, all our symbols, because they are not only part of who we are and our fundamental right, but also of our own heritage and of what Spain is.”