The funeral in Huelva for the 45 victims of Adamuz has been a source of comfort and a powerful breath of peace. The words of young Liliana, a devout daughter of Natividad, spring from sorrow, love, and faith, and have deeply moved us all, spreading a sense of unity and solace throughout the region. “Thank you” has been repeated so often and felt with such profound emotion. The Church has opened its arms and comforted everyone, while also sharing the unwavering hope in God.

The families of those killed in the Adamuz accident wanted a Catholic and community funeral, as the young woman explained at the end of the service. This is understandable, because the Catholic faith has shaped our society for twenty centuries, and the families have been shown compassion from the very beginning.

Much good from evil

We need gestures of unity amidst divisive powers, gestures of comfort amidst pain, testimonies of faith amidst unbelievers. Once again, we see that God can bring much good out of much evil, but it is also true that He wants our cooperation, as we are witnessing these days. Asking God for explanations is as simple as complaining about being born. For true peace of mind is found when one forgets their own petty personal problems to attend to the great problems of others. Let those who can understand, understand.

For months, even years, faith has been returning to the hearts of many and to the customs of society. We increasingly find young people who express their faith naturally and joyfully, without inhibition. Churches are filled with them and with people of all ages; the Eucharist draws many with profound, renewed fervor each day, each week, and each liturgy. Testimonies of faith, charity, hope, and conversion abound. The Gospels are read or listened to with great interest and meditated on daily to follow Jesus Christ closely, who is now recognized as the one who lives yesterday, today, and forever: not a figure of the past, but God who walks with us in sorrows and joys, on Sundays and every day, and gives us the strength to transform our world.

Young people celebrate faith

A few days ago, the Vista Alegre Palace in Madrid was filled with young people celebrating “The Awakening,” a gathering of thousands of young people eager to listen to  influencers , engage in dialogue, and reflect, demonstrating against groupthink and the  “woke” cancel culture. And a few weeks ago, young people also filled the Puerta del Sol square celebrating Christmas with Hakuna, singing carols and sharing the joy of the Christian faith. Around the same time, many took to the streets to support and distribute food and affection to the homeless. Social media is also full of conversion stories showing that another way of life is possible.

To live with more freedom

Each of us, through our work, can sow peace, joy, and faith, as a columnist does in light of the train accident in Adamuz. She writes in ABC: “From Kant to Kierkegaard, the most influential philosophers in history have explored the role of religions in fulfilling the soul. One can be a Marxist and subscribe to the idea of ​​opium, and at the same time, honor the historical memory of one’s people. The State must be secular, but the national mourning that appeals above all to memory cannot be divorced from our roots, from our historical memory. The Mass, its ritual, its aesthetics, and its values ​​are all part of that. In the face of death, even more so.” And she believes that death leaves a void in the soul that can be filled by God and religion: “Spain is a historically Catholic country. We could have been something else, but this is who we are. Here, burials were, and still are, carried out by the Church. Farewells are recorded with its rite: the funeral.”

This country of ours is, without needing to be forced by law, a nation tolerant of other religions. Our Church does not prohibit believers of other religions from entering its temples. It respects. It lives (its religion) and lets others live: atheists, agnostics….”

“Conversa” is a film with a conversion story set against a backdrop of music and artistic sensibility, featuring experiences of returning to the Catholic faith. “Libres” is also a film with testimonies from women and men who live out their vocation as consecrated persons or religious, knowing they are free to follow Jesus Christ, to enrich the Church, and to serve the lost: after having tried so many things, they now soar with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. They are happy and they make others happy.