«Cardinal Cobo.
For friends ‘cobito’ what a nerve the little respect it arouses commands. We bring it because it’s in the news outside Spain.
Cardinal José Cobo Cano from Madrid, Spain, signed a secret agreement that allows the Spanish government to transform parts of the basilica of the Valley of the Fallen in Madrid for political and ideological use, according to a new report . Cobo Cano signed a secret agreement with Minister Félix Bolaños about the future of the Valley of the Fallen in Madrid without involving the Benedictine community responsible for the basilica, the Spanish Episcopal Conference, or the Holy See.
The Valley of the Fallen is a vast monumental complex built during the government of Francisco Franco, located on the outskirts of Madrid. Conceived as a monument to «pacification» after the Spanish Civil War, it has long been considered a symbol of Francoism. The site includes a basilica excavated into the rock and entrusted to the Benedictines, a monumental cross, and a cemetery that houses the remains of fallen soldiers from both sides of the conflict.
The basilica of the Valley is a minor basilica by pontifical right, established by Pope John XXIII in the Apostolic Letter Salutiferae Crucis on April 7, 1960. In that document, the Pope states that «any contrary act will be considered null and void if anyone, with any authority, knowingly or unknowingly, attempts to act in a way that deviates from what is established».The Archbishop of Madrid has no jurisdiction over the Valley’s church, which, as a minor basilica, depends directly on the Pope by virtue of its pontifical right status. Cobo Cano would have granted the Spanish government a non-existent legal cover, creating the appearance of an authorization that he had no power to grant. The agreement is considered problematic both from the perspective of the agreements between the Church and the Spanish State and from that of the interpretation of canon law. The document violates the legal framework established by the 1979 Agreements, which guarantee the autonomy of the Church in the management of places of worship and limit State interference in ecclesiastical matters. The agreement would also be canonically invalid, not only because the basilica is under pontifical right, but also because a church dedicated to worship cannot be fragmented into sacred and profane zones within the same building (cf. canons 1210 and 1214). Any possible reduction to profane use applies to the entire building, not to individual sections (1222).
The Spanish Episcopal Conference of November 2025, declared that it was unaware of the content of the agreement and referred journalists to speak directly with Cobo Cano. «We did not participate, not even as silent spectators, and any information you wish to obtain on this matter must be consulted directly with Cardinal Cobo». Our InfoVaticana has openly questioned the suitability of Cardinal Cobo Cano to lead the Archdiocese of Madrid, in light of his role in the management of the Valley of the Fallen and the way he has exercised his scant authority in recent years. Cobo Cano also figures among the authors of the controversial report prepared by the Study Group 4 of the Synod on Synodality, created by Pope Francis and focused on priestly formation. In the congregations prior to the last conclave, it called attention, and a lot, and not precisely for good reasons. A shame that neither Spain nor Madrid deserve to be treated this way».
