Lluís Maria Xirinacs

Lluís Maria Xirinacs i Damians (Barcelona, 1932 - Ogassa, Ripollès, 11 August, 2007) was a Catalan politician, writer, religious and advocator for the independence of the Catalan Countries.

He was born in Barcelona in 1932, and he became priest when he was 22.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he made several hunger strikes, a first long one against the entailment of Church and State during Francoism. The Spanish regime imprisoned him twice (1972 and 1974-1975). He declared himself as follower of Gandhi theses and practized the fight from within the non-violence. As example, he spent twelve hours a day for a year and nine months standing in front a prison of Barcelona until the approval of an amnisty law for political prisoners. For all these actions, he was proposed 3 years (1975, 1976, 1977) as a candidate for the Peace Nobel Prize.

In 1977, in the first Spanish elections after Franco dictatorship, he became senator for Barcelona as a independent candidate. In 1979, he leadered a candidature for the Spanish Congress of Deputies in a coalition known as Left Block of National Freedom (Bloc d'Esquerra d'Alliberament Nacional or BEAN). That reivindicated the spirit of the former Assembly of Catalonia, of which he also was one of its main promoters. Later on, BEAN also presented in 1980 Catalan Parliament elections; but, in both cases, it did not obtain any representation.

By 1980, he left active party politics. In 1984, he founded along with Agustí Chalaux the Centre d'Estudis Joan Bardina, where he wanted to deepen in a new economical, political and social model. In 1990, he abondened his priesthood vows. In 2000, he started to protest again seating in Sant Jaume square daily for the independence of the Catalan Countries. When he was 65, he became PhD in Philosophy.

On September 11, 2002, within the National Day of Catalonia reivindicative speeches in Fossar de les Moreres, he declared:

«Gandhi deia que el no-violent no pot tractar amb neutralitat les parts d'un conflicte violent: l'agressor és l'enemic, l'agredit és l'amic, tot i que sigui violent. Jo he intentat tota la vida lluitar per la via no violenta. Però declaro aquí, i ho dic ben alt, per si hi ha cap policia o cap fiscal: em declaro enemic de l'estat espanyol i amic d'ETA i de Batasuna».

"Gandhi said that the nonviolent one cannot deal with neutrality the parts of a violent conflict: the aggressor is the enemy, the attacked one is the friend, although he may be violent. I have tried all my life the fight by non-violent means. Nevertheless, I declare here and, I say it aloud, in the case there could be any police or public prosecutor: I declare myself enemy of the Spanish State and friend of ETA and Batasuna."

After this, he was condemned two years of prison and four of incapacitation by the Spanish Audiencia Nacional, accused of ennobling terrorism.

On December 17, 2002, he stated in his defense in the jury:

«No crec que sigui delicte fer feina d’historiador (de la qual es pot discrepar): -de descriure una guerra d’alliberament nacional que dura ja quaranta anys, -i de comparar-la amb altres guerres.»

"I don't think that working as historian is any delict (despite it can be disagreed): -describing a war for national freedom that lasts for 40 years, -and comparing it with other wars."

And he also added: «Són els tancs espanyols que ocupen el País Basc. Cap arma basca no vol conquerir Espanya.» "Spanish tanks are the ones who occupy the Basque Country. No Basque weapon wants to conquer Spain".

Despite the condeming sentence, and an existing search and capture warrant, he was not arrested.

When he was 74, on October 25, 2005, he was arrested by Spanish National Police when he visited Ciutat Vella commissary in order to renew his DNI.

Two days later, he was sent to prison, but in the very afternoon, the Attorney General decided to free him invoking humanitary reasons because of his age.

In 2004, Catalan Summer University awarded him the Canigó prize. During that time, he continued his political commitment within Fundació Randa.

On August 11, 2007, he was found dead in the woods after committing suicide. He let a note in his workplace explaining his decision, where he criticized the cowardice of Catalan politicians and noticed that Catalonia is occupied by France and Spain.