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Isidro Gomá y Tomás was born in Cretes located in Teruel Spain. He grew up in a catholic family. He studied theology and philosophy in what was known as the Seminary. He played a significant role during the Spanish Civil war Isidro Gomá y Tomás (19 August 1869 – 22 August 1940) was the Bishop of Tarazona in the province of Zaragoza known for his strong support of Francisco Franco and the National Movement during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939.[1] He was also later made Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo and was Primate of Spain.[2] Gomá was an integrista, in the technical sense in believing in the necessity of a 'Confessional State' that imposes upon all its subjects the profession and practice of the Roman Catholic religion and prohibits all others.[3]
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Isidro Gomá y Tomás | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Toledo | |
 | |
| Archdiocese | Toledo |
| See | Toledo |
| Appointed | 12 April 1933 |
| Term ended | 22 August 1940 |
| Predecessor | Pedro Segura y Sáenz |
| Successor | Enrique Pla y Deniel |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of San Pietro in Montorio (1935–40) |
| Previous post(s) |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 8 June 1895 by Tomás Costa y Fornaguera |
| Consecration | 2 October 1927 by Francisco de Asís Vidal y Barraquer |
| Created cardinal | 16 December 1935 by Pope Pius XI |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Isidro Gomá y Tomás 19 August 1869 |
| Died | 22 August 1940 (aged 71) Toledo, Francoist Spain |
| Buried | Toledo Cathedral |
| Parents | José Tomás Pedrol María Tomás Bosch |
| Alma mater | University of Valencia |
| Motto | Ut Ecclesia aedificationem accipiat |
| Coat of arms | .svg) |
| Styles of Isidro Gomá y Tomás | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Toledo |
At the end of the Spanish Civil War he wrote; "The Church has applied the full weight of her prestige, which has been placed at the service of truth and justice, to bring about the triumph of the National Cause."[4]
Isidro Gomá y Tomás was born in the Catalan town of La Riba, Spain. He was educated at the Seminary of Tarragona, and the Seminary of Valencia.
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During the Spanish Civil War, which broke out on July 17th 1936 between the left-wing Republicans and the right-wing Nationalists led by Francisco Franco, who was a spanish military dictator who ruled spain from 1939 for 36 years until his death in 1975.[5] Gomá firmly sided with the Nationalist faction. For Gomá, the Nationalist cause was not simply about military victory, it was a moral and religious crusade.
Gomá's belief was not only religious but also deeply political. He supported Franco's vision for Spain, which included the establishment of a nationalist, Catholic and traditionalist state, that would uphold the teachings of the Church and suppress any ideologies that threatened the established social order. This vision aligned with his belief that Spain should remain a Confessional State, where Catholicism would be the state religion, and any deviation from it would be suppressed. He saw the Republican forces, which included left-wing, socialist, and anti-religious elements, as a threat to both the Catholic Church and Spanish society. In contrast, he viewed the Nationalists as defenders of traditional Catholic values and the Spanish monarchy, which he believed would restore order and defend the role of Catholicism in Spain.
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Isidro Gomá y Tomas was ordained as priest on 8 June 1895 in Tarragona at the age of 26.[6] He quickly gained recognition for his theological skills and devotion to his faith. He did pastoral work in the archdiocese of Tarragona until 1897 after which he worked as a faculty member of the Pontifical Seminary of Tarragona from 1897 until 1899 where he taught philosophy and theology.[7] Isidro was a parish priest in his home community whereby he ran a ministry that was composed and souly focused on the traditional values of the Catholic Church. He served as its rector until 1906. He was also a faculty member of the Pontifical University of Tarragona from 1897 until 1899. He worked in the diocesan curia until 1927. Throughout his priesthood, Gomá was heavily influenced by the teachings of Pope Pius X and Pope Pius XI. They were stressed the importance of a strong moral foundation and the good it can bring to society. His devotion to his faith and commitment to his spirituality are what led him to his later success. Isidro Gomá's priesthood was the stepping stone to his final position as Archbishop. It shaped his approach to his leadership in later life where he became one of the most memorable bishop's of that time.
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He was appointed as bishop of Tarazona[8] on 20 June 1927 by Pope Pius XI who was the head of the Catholic Church from 1922 until 1939 and highlighted the importance of social justice. After spending some years in Tarazona, Isidro Gomá y Tomás was appointed as apostolic administrator of Tudela from December 1927 until June 1933. He played a very important role in guiding ministry even during a time of stress and change as Spain, at the time was facing political instability. He was promoted to the metropolitan and primatial see of Toledo on 12 April 1933. He became the most powerful priest in the country and the spiritual leader of the largest catholic population. However, at this time Spain was undergoing a lot of commotion due to the Spanish Civil War of 1936. This came with a lot of stress to Isidro Gomá's leadership as he was in charge of protecting his diocese. His traditional Catholic values were at the forefront of his leadership. Isiodro was extremely against any non-religious beliefs. During his time as Archbishop of Toledo, he strove to promote Catholic beliefs across the country. He gave his best efforts to increase religion in the replublic's reforms especially those that tried to limit the influence of the church in daily lives.
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He was created Cardinal-Priest of San Pietro in Montorio in the consistory of 16 December 1935 by Pope Pius XI. He strongly supported the National Movement during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. He participated in the conclave of 1939 that elected Pope Pius XII. He died in 1940.
In 1938, when it was evident that the Nationalists had the upper hand, Gomá made it clear that reconciliation was not forthcoming and contributed to the fervor of White Terror: "Indeed, it is necessary to end the war. But do not let it end with a compromise, with an agreement nor with reconciliation. It is necessary to take hostilities to the point of achieving victory at the point of a sword. Let the reds surrender, since they have been beaten. There is no pacification possible other than through arms. In order to organise peace within a Christian constitution it is vital to uproot all the rot of secular legislation."[1] His fiery preaching, including exhortations to massacre the "reds" and his repeated benedictions of Franco's guns and tanks, were loudly shamed by Catholic French writer Georges Bernanos, then a right wing sympathiser, in his book "Les grands cimetières sous la lune" (The great graveyards under the moonlight), a first-hand account, with pamphletary overtones, of the Spanish Civil War which he witnessed in the Balearic island of Mallorca.
According to Antony Beevor:
Cardinal Gomá stated that 'Jews and Masons poisoned the national soul with absurd doctrine'... A few brave priests put their lives at risk by criticizing nationalist atrocities, but the majority of the clergy in nationalist areas revelled in their new-found power and the increased size of their congregations. Anyone who did not attend Mass faithfully was likely to be suspected of 'red' tendencies. Entrepreneurs made a great money selling religious symbols... It was reminiscent of the way the Inquisition's persecutions of Jews and Moors helped make pork such an important part of the Spanish diet.[9]: 96
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