The government has opened an information file to determine whether the Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of Mercy and Holy Mary Mother of Divine Providence has violated the Law of Democratic Memory by displaying a banner with Francoist symbols during a procession that took place on Holy Saturday during Holy Week in Malaga. The banner featured phrases such as “A great freedom” and “Franco 1936”, as well as the embroidered eagle shield of San Juan, as reported by the municipal group Con Málaga. The group’s spokesperson, Toni Morillas, stated on social media that it is “disrespectful to Malaga and those who love its Holy Week”.
Founded in 1939 and with a military character, this brotherhood had General José Millán-Astray as its first Brother Master. Popularly known as “El Mutilado” and based in the Church of the Sacred, it processed on Holy Saturday through the streets of Malaga. Among the procession was a Nazarene carrying a banner with a crucified Christ in silver missing one of its legs. Embroidered on the banner in gold thread was the eagle shield of San Juan, with the inscription “Franco July 1, 1936” and above it “A great freedom”. The local newspaper Sur reported that the banner had also been part of the procession in 2023 and possibly in 2022, with the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory denouncing such processions that exalt the dictatorship.
On Monday, Toni Morillas, municipal spokesperson for Con Málaga, wrote a letter to the mayor, Francisco de la Torre, stressing the obligation to uphold current legislation and protect democratic integrity and coexistence, especially in the context of the popular expression of Holy Week in Malaga. The letter requested that the incident be reported to the government sub-delegation in the province to apply any necessary sanctions for the potential violation of the Law of Democratic Memory and ensure that this illegal exaltation of Francoism does not happen again. Due to the mayor’s silence, Morillas then addressed the government sub-delegate in Malaga, Javier Salas.
After receiving the communication, Salas explained that an information file had been opened to determine whether the display of the banner violated the law, and to what extent. Official sources stated that the objective was to gather more information about the events, which would then be sent to the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory – a department under the Ministry of the Presidency – to determine the outcome of the process initiated. In a similar case in 2019, the Lawyers Association 17th of March requested the suspension of the procession of the Virgin of the Hermandad del Baratillo due to the presence of a Francoist sash, but the case was ultimately dismissed.
The controversy surrounding the display of Francoist symbols during a Holy Week procession in Malaga has sparked a debate about the preservation of democratic memory and the role of public displays of historical symbols. The government’s investigation into the possible violation of the Law of Democratic Memory by the Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of Mercy and Holy Mary Mother of Divine Providence reflects ongoing efforts to address Spain’s difficult past and promote reconciliation. As different groups express their concerns and viewpoints on the matter, the outcome of the investigation will likely have implications for future public displays of historical symbols and the interpretation of Spain’s history in a democratic context.
