Antonio Añoveros Ataún (13 June 1909 – 24 October 1987) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and bishop. He is known mostly as a protagonist of the so-called "Añoveros case", a 1974 episode which marked the gravest crisis in relations between Francoist Spain and the Church. Though during the Civil War he joined Carlists, he is recognized chiefly as one of the most liberal members of the Spanish hierarchy during the late Francoism; he is appreciated especially in the Basque realm.
Family and youth
Añoveros' paternal family originated from the Madrid province. His grandfather, Guillermo Añoveros Ribas (1817–1897),see Guillermo Añoveros Rivas entry, [in:] Geni genealogical service, available here, also El Eco de Navarra 16 December 1997, available here settled in Navarre due to his duties of Carabinero de la Hacienda Nacional,Guillermo Añoveros Ribas entry, [in:] Geneanet genealogical service, available here the Spanish customs service. Antonio's father, Julio Añoveros Monasterio (1867–1939),Julio Añoveros Monasterio entry, [in:] Geni genealogical service, available here directed Tabacalera de Navarra, local section of the Spanish tobacco monopoly, and worked for the Pamplona city council as secretary of Junta de Beneficiencia de Navarra. Since 1928 he was elected Teniente de Alcalde and presided over Comisión de Beneficiencia; he was also recognized as author of pieces posted to local periodicals.see Monasterio entry, [in:] Antzinako genealogical service, available here, Eusebio Gorritxategi San Sebastián, El centenario del obispo incómodo, [in:] Diario Vasco 13 June 2009, available here Antonio's maternal family came from central Navarre; his mother, Claudia Ataún Sanz (1881–1975), originated from Irurozqui.Claudia Ataún Sanz entry, [in:] Geni genealogical service, available here The couple had 4 children.Gorritxategi San Sebastián 2009
On the insistence of his devoutly religious mother, Antonio was first educated in the Marist Brothers' college in Pamplona.Gorritxategi San Sebastián 2009 Having obtained the bachillerato he moved to Aragon, studying derecho civil at Universidad de Zaragoza.Josep Miquel Bausset, El "caso Añoveros", 40 años después, [in:] Religión Digital 23 February 2014, available here, Javier Dronda Martínez, Con Cristo o contra Cristo: religión y movilización antirepublicana en Navarra (1931–1936), Tafalla 2013, , p. 76 According to some sources he pursued law studies and sacerdotal education at the same time,ABC 25 October 1987, available here, ABC 18 February 1955, available here according to the other he abandoned university witnessing the rising tide of militant secularization; determined to confront it he returned to his native city and entered the seminar.Gorritxategi San Sebastián 2009; it was by no means a typical decision. At that time the number of candidates to the Pamplona seminary decreased significantly, from 463 in 1930 to 370 in 1933, Dronda Martínez 2013, p. 60 He was ordained priest in 1933 and posted to the St. Nicholas parish in Pamplona.Antonio Añoveros Ataun entry, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia, available here, Bishop Antonio Añoveros Ataún entry, [in:] Catholic Hierarchy service, available here In the mid-1930s he assumed teaching duties at the Pamplona seminaryAntonio Añoveros y Ataun entry, [in:] Diocesis Malaga service, available here and animated local Acción Católica.El Siglo Futuro 18 January 1936, available here, ABC 18 February 1955, available here; he animated AC also during the war, Manuel Martorell Pérez, La continuidad ideológica del carlismo tras la Guerra Civil [PhD thesis], Valencia 2009, p. 297
None of the sources referenced below provides information on Añoveros' political activities prior to the July 1936 coup. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War his older brother, Julio Añoveros Ataún, joined the Carlist Requeté militia;he served as alférez in Gipuzkoan units, Julio Aróstegui, Combatientes Requetés en la Guerra Civil Española (1936–1939), Madrid 2013, , p. 235, compare also account of María Isabel Ruiz de Ulíbarri, [in:] Fundación Ignacio Larramendi service, available here Antonio followed suit and enlisted as a chaplain. The exact unit, timing and location of his service are not known; one author claims he served in hospitals and similar facilities,Gorritxategi San Sebastián 2009 though also in a machine-gun battalion.the most specific source mentions an unidentified "87 batallón de ametralladoras", ABC 18 February 1955, available here. Others are less detailed, see Diario Vasco 13 June 2009, available here, and refer generally to his role of a chaplain in Carlist units, see Jeremy MacClancy, The Decline of Carlism, Reno 2000, , p. 306. or in "batallón del Ejército de Franco", ABC 25 October 1987, available here He is recorded as having administered sacraments also to the Republican soldiers.Bausset 2014, José Antonio Hidalgo, La energia de un hombre bueno, [in:] Diario de Cádiz [date unclear], available here Añoveros was involved in matanza de Valcardera, the second-largest mass execution in Navarre;the killing took place on 23 August 1936, and was the second largest mass execution in Navarre (after execution of 64 in Monreal), Fernando Mikelarena Peña, Sin piedad. Limpieza politica en Navarra, 1936. Responsables, colaboradores y ejecutores, Tafalla 2015, , p. 168 he was one of 6 priests confessing 52 inmates about to be executed.Mikelarena Peña 2015, pp. 168–175, Martorell Pérez 2009, pp. 111–112, 297, Iñaki Egaña, Los crímenes de Franco en Euskal Herria, 1936–1940, Tafalla 2009, , p. 130 He later claimed to have been terrified by the scene and named the day the worst in his life; he turned gray the following night.ABC 15 November 1987, available here None of the few witness accounts available – including his own – notes he protested the killings.Mikelarena Peña 2015, p. 171 Some authors claim the local hierarchy was aware and approved of the executions.Mikelarena Peña 2015, p. 172
Prior to the Unification Decree Añoveros featured prominently in plans, drafted by Junta Nacional Carlista de Guerra and to be executed upon taking Madrid. They envisioned formation of Christianization Columns, units entrusted with propaganda and religious activities until the Church structures were re-established in the capital;apart from priests and friars, each column was to be composed of an orchestra, a loudspeaker section, a requeté detachment, sanitary services, a radio broadcasting unit, technicians and other auxiliary sub-units, Martorell Pérez 2009, p. 105 Añoveros was selected to head the Navarrese column, supposed to act in the Puerta del Sol quarter.Martorell Pérez 2009, pp. 105, 297 These plans were cancelled by political developments within the Nationalist camp; Añoveros continued serving as a chaplain and was noted in Carlist auxiliary units on the Castellon front in 1938.Mikelarena Peña 2015, p. 391 He did show up in Madrid carrying out proselytizing activities once the city had been taken in 1939: he was noted as engaged in distribution of El Pensamiento Navarro, the sole Carlist daily spared amalgamation in the Francoist propaganda machinery.Martorell Pérez 2009, p. 75
Early ecclesiastical career
At some point Añoveros became vicedirector of a diocesan Pamplonese weekly La Verdad.ABC 18 February 1955, available here; it was directed by Pablo Gurpide, Dronda Martínez 2013, pp. 125, 131–133 It is not entirely clear when he ceased as a parish priest for St. Nicholas in Pamplona; during the war he was officially delegated to Delegación de frentes y hospitales, a branch of Falange catering for the wounded;Antonio Añoveros y Ataun entry, [in:] Diocesis Malaga service, available here no earlier than in 1939 Añoveros was nominated representative of the diocese to the Casa del Consiliario de Madrid and in this capacity he made few trips abroad. Afterwards he was appointed primer capellán and professor at Escuela Nacional de Mandos del Frente de Juventud, an institute designed to train the Falangist youth cadres.ABC 18 February 1955 This assignment was terminated in 1942, when he assumed the Santa Maria parish in the central Navarrese town of Tafalla; he was also appointed director of the local Casa Sacerdotal Diocesana.Antonio Añoveros y Ataun entry, [in:] Diocesis Malaga service He passed into the living memory of the local population as a young, ingenious and resolute priest, trying to serve the poor community the best;Javier Torralba, La cabalgata de reyes en 1945, [in:] Tafalla a pie service, available here he continued at the post until 1950.Antonio Añoveros Ataun entry, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia, available here
In early 1950 Añoveros left Navarre for Andalusia; he was appointed canónigo de la catedral in Málaga. He rose also to Director Espiritual del Seminario Conciliar, rector of the local seminary,Antonio Añoveros Ataun entry, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia and performed some other minor duties.e.g. capellán del Tiro de Pichón, Antonio Añoveros y Ataun entry, [in:] Diocesis Malaga service Working closely with the charismatic figure of the Málaga bishop Angel Herrera Oria, Añoveros grew to his right-hand and in 1952 was elevated to vicar-general of the diocese.as Herrera Oria used to travel extensively, it was Añoveros often replacing him in Málaga, Cristian Cerón Torreblanca, Las relaciones iglesia-estado en Málaga durante el franquismo 1936–1975, [in:] Baetica. Estudios de Arte, Geografía e Historia 31 (2009), pp. 487 In 1952, promoted by Herrera Oria (who also acted as his principal consecrator),Antonio Añoveros y Ataun entry, [in:] Diocesis Malaga service Añoveros was nominated the Malaga Auxiliary Bishop; his titular see was Tabuda.Antonio Añoveros Ataun entry, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia In late 1954 he moved to Western Andalusia, nominated the Coadjutor Bishop of Cádiz and Ceuta.Antonio Añoveros y Ataun entry, [in:] Diocesis Malaga service In this new post he remained influenced by the strong personality of the aging titular bishop of the province, Tomás Gutiérrez Díez.Hidalgo 2009
Himself coming from an accommodated family, Añoveros had already developed an interest in social issues when in the Pamplona seminary;Dronda Martínez 2013, p. 76 he pursued it animating the local Acción Católica, first during the Republic and later during the Civil War.as viceconsiliario diocesano, El Siglo Futuro 18 January 1936, available here At both his Andalusian assignments he continued co-operation with Acción Católica as its local delegado episcopal, becoming also increasingly involved in charity as Delegado Diocesano de Caridad.ABC 18 February 1955, available here, Gorritxategi San Sebastián 2009 He was noted as demonstrating utter interest in the poor, frequently visiting the city suburbs.ABC 18 February 1955 At that time his relations with Spanish government seemed excellent: a former Carlist chaplain and mentor of Falangist youth cadres, in the early 1950s he was taking part in venerating ceremonies to honor Francisco Franco;La Vanguardia 3 December 1962, available here a photograph of Añoveros friendly chatting with the Caudillo was splashed across front pages upon his assumption of the Cádiz post.La Vanguardia 10 February 1955, available here. According to some sources the Cadiz and Ceuta appointment involved some administrative ploys on the part of the Church in order to work around Franco’s right to be involved in the process, Joe Foweraker, Making Democracy in Spain: Grass-Roots Struggle in the South, 1955–1975, London 2003, , p. 103
Second Vatican Council