Martín Patino: centenary of a legacy of dialogue and commitment
Comillas Pontifical University and the Ramón Areces Foundation held a round table in tribute to José María Martín Patino, on the centenary of his birth, highlighting his role as a reference point for social and ecclesial dialogue
11 June 2025
As part of the centenary of the birth of José María Martín Patino, Comillas Pontifical University, in collaboration with the Ramón Areces Foundation, organised a round table discussion entitled "Passion for dialogue and encounter". The event, held in the Foundation's Assembly Hall, brought together personalities from the academic, political and ecclesiastical spheres to reflect on the legacy of one of the great protagonists of the Spanish Transition.
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The Rector of Comillas, Antonio Allende SJ, opened the event by highlighting the figure of Martín Patino as "a man of the Church deeply committed to society, who made the culture of encounter a passion and a mission, a life project that led him to activism for reconciliation". During his speech, Allende also praised that "dialogue, encounter and reconciliation became the keys to his reflection and reading, and the guides for the many activities he carried out". As the rector pointed out, many of these reflections and ideas appear in the book Pasión por el diálogo y el encuentro (Passion for dialogue and encounter), a compilation of fundamental texts by the honoree recently published by the university.
The central part of the event consisted of a dialogue moderated by the journalist Fernando González Urbaneja, with the participation of the former Minister of Health and Defence, Julián García; the President of AMA GRUPO, former President of the Congress and former Minister of Health and Public Works, Ana Pastor, and the former Rector of Comillas and lecturer in Theology, Julio L. Martínez SJ.
Martínez focused his speech on the relevance of Martín Patino's thoughts: "He was not afraid to go to the margins to build bridges. His commitment to dialogue continues to be an ethical compass for our times", he pointed out.
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