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At the center of the controversy is a 2016 essay titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam,” in which Ballester argued that genuine dialogue between Christianity and Islam remains unattainable under current conditions
(ZENIT News / Barcelona, 10.07.2025).- The conviction of a Spanish priest for “hate speech” has ignited a national conversation about the boundaries of religious expression and freedom of conscience in modern Europe. Father Custodio Ballester, a Barcelona parish priest known for his outspoken views, was found guilty last week of making “Islamophobic” remarks in an article he wrote more than seven years ago. At the center of the controversy is a 2016 essay titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam,” in which Ballester argued that genuine dialogue between Christianity and Islam remains unattainable under current conditions. The article was a direct response to a pastoral letter from Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, entitled “The Necessary Dialogue with Islam.” Ballester’s critique was pointed, suggesting that “for Islam, one either believes or remains an infidel to be subdued in one way or another.”
Continued below.
Spanish Catholic priest found guilty of hate speech for telling the truth about Islam | ZENIT - English
(ZENIT News / Barcelona, 10.07.2025).- The conviction of a Spanish priest for “hate speech” has ignited a national conversation about the boundaries of religious expression and freedom of conscience in modern Europe. Father Custodio Ballester, a Barcelona parish priest known for his outspoken views, was found guilty last week of making “Islamophobic” remarks in an article he wrote more than seven years ago. At the center of the controversy is a 2016 essay titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam,” in which Ballester argued that genuine dialogue between Christianity and Islam remains unattainable under current conditions. The article was a direct response to a pastoral letter from Cardinal Juan José Omella, Archbishop of Barcelona, entitled “The Necessary Dialogue with Islam.” Ballester’s critique was pointed, suggesting that “for Islam, one either believes or remains an infidel to be subdued in one way or another.”
Continued below.
Spanish Catholic priest found guilty of hate speech for telling the truth about Islam | ZENIT - English