There is unease even within the Spanish Catholic Church itself concerning the timing of the ceremony at the Vatican yesterday when 498 Spanish Civil martyrs were beatified. All belonged to the nationalist side and no mention was made of any of the priests executed by the fascists for supporting the Republican cause, nor the many thousands of innocent people tortured and executed on information provided by nationalist-supporting priests.

Enrique de Castro, who is a priest at the San Carlos Borromeo parish in Vallecas said the event was "inappropriate," criticised the "rapidity" of the process and expressed concern that the ceremony was staged to coincide so exactly with next Wednesday's Historical Memory Bill debate in the House of Congress. If approved, the new legislation will formally condemn, for the first time, the 40 year dictatorship and orders the removal of all fascist symbology from all of Spain's streets and public buildings.

Given Pope Benedict's decision not to attend beatification ceremonies, the homily was performed by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, who used it to fire a broadside at some of the social reforms introduced by José Luis Rodríguez's government since the socialists' shock election victory in the aftermath of the Madrid bombings more than three and a half years ago.

Criticising his government for legalising gay and lesbian marriages, making it easier for couples to get divorced and scrapping PP plans to make religious education compulsory in Spanish schools, the cardinal said there was a need to protect the family "founded on the sole and indissoluble marriage between a man and woman, on the primary right for parents to educate their children."

Spanish Interior minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, who headed a delegation representing the government at the ceremony, was later unavailable for comment.

José Luis, a retired truck driver from Toledo, however, was less reticent: "Spain doesn't want the Church because we have Socialists and Communists in the government," he said. "I came here to support Spain and the martyrs." José Luis was one of a large crowd of Spanish pilgrims gathered inside St. Peter's Square, many waving Spanish flags, some of which displaying Franco's fascist insignia.