Presentation of the book at the Palau de la Música Catalana
The Palau de la Música Catalana rehearsal room was the setting for the presentation of the book ‘Cardinal Vidal i Barraquer and the Catalan question. Vatican archives. The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. Military directory (1923-1925)’, written by Mn. Ramon Corts and Blay. This is the third volume dedicated to this subject by the author. The book stands out for the inclusion of unpublished documents, the result of the research carried out by Mn. Courts in various archives, such as the Vatican Apostolic Archive.
The historical context of the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera
Dr. Josep Maria Solé Sabaté, professor in Contemporary History, participated in the presentation event. In his speech, he emphasized the historical context in which the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera developed, characterized by a complex and unstable society. He described this dictatorship as ‘centralist, corrupt, sexist and uneducated’, a copy of Italian fascism that left a terrifying memory.
The role of Vidal and Barraquer
Mr. Ramon Corts, vice-chancellor of the Sant Pacià University University and author of the book, addressed the question of why the Spanish bishops and clergy accepted the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. According to him, the great enemy of the Spanish ecclesiastical hierarchy was not communism, but liberalism. He highlighted the key role of Vidal i Barraquer, a conservative and monarchist man who initially accepted the dictatorship, but later changed his mind and evolved. Mr. Corts stated that Vidal i Barraquer is a myth of Catalonia.
Catalanism and the repression of Catalan
During the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, there was a repression of Catalan and Catalanism, generating a confrontation between the Catalan Church and the dictatorship. Vidal and Barraquer played a key role in this struggle. Mr. Corts emphasized that Vidal and Barraquer defended a moderate Catalanism with Christian roots, as well as the absolute independence of the Church from power. He recalled that the Church in Catalonia was divided between Carlists and liberals, and that there was a situation of continuous confrontation.
The book and its structure
The book ‘Cardinal Vidal i Barraquer and the Catalan question’ consists of 1,478 pages, of which about 800 are text and the rest are appendices for readers interested in obtaining more information about Cardinal Vidal i Barraquer and the Primo dictatorship from Rivera. The work has been edited by the Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià within the Studia Historica Tarraconensia collection.
