The cross of Callosa de Segura
In March 2016, the socialist mayor of Callosa de Segura pushed a motion to remove the cross adjacent to St. Martin Church, invoking the Historical Memory Law.
Passed in 2007, the law has the declared objective of compensating those who suffered persecution or violence during the Civil War by the Nationalist side in the conflict and later during the 40 years of General Franco’s government.
Another provision of the law calls for “the appropriate measures for the removal of shields, insignia, plaques, and other objects or commemorative mentions of exaltation, personal or collective, of the [Nationalist] military uprising, of the Civil War [which the Nationalists won] and of the repression of the [Franco Nationalist] dictatorship.”
Monuments belonging to the Catholic Church were expressly exempt.
The Cross of Callosa de Segura was erected in 1941 in memory of the 81 residents who were killed by the Republican side during the Civil War, including two priests, ages 29 and 40.
When the intention to remove the cross was announced, the Guardians Platform to preserve the monument was organized in the town, which prevented its removal for months until January 2018, when it was taken down.
The neighbors didn’t stop preserving the memory of their cross and on occasion set up wooden crosses where the original cross had stood, which the city government ordered the local police to remove.
Then came the idea to project an image of the monument in bright light on the façade of the church from the balcony of Agulló’s house. The city government fined her numerous times, alleging that she was not complying with municipal ordinances.
Since then, always on designated dates, the image of the cross has shone on the church façade. It was also to be projected March 24 in honor and memory of Agulló and will be whenever there is a great occasion, Illán told ACI Prensa.
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‘A good, sincere, brave, and generous woman’
The Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers has provided counsel in the legal battle by the town residents in defense of the cross.
Polonia Castellanos, president of the foundation, said Agulló “was a good, sincere, courageous, and generous-hearted woman. People like her are an inspiration to care for our families and for what matters in Spain.”
“I promised her that I would not rest until the cross is replaced, and I will do that,” Castellanos said.
Agulló’s determination was recognized by the HazteOir.org (CitizenGo) platform, which gave her one of its annual awards in 2018.
On that occasion, she stated: “Despite whoever it may be, with your belligerent attitude you have achieved one thing: That with each passing day we remain more firm in our faith and in the fight for Christian values and our great universal symbol, the cross of Christ.”
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