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According to the New York Daily News,

Vida Nueva (New Life) internet publication said the pope told Spain's new ambassador to the Vatican, Gerardo Bugallo, that the Holy See is against all self-determination moves that are outside decolonization processes.

(I have to say that although this is circulating in the news I don't know if there is an official statement from the Vatican).

In Spain though, some 400 priests openly support Catalonian independence.

I'm confused as to what business the Catholic Church would have in supporting or opposing an independence movement, unless it is related to its doctrine or the Bible.

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    I believe your question is on-topic and may very well be answerable according to the way you've framed it, but it seems to overlook the fact that the Vatican is not only (the headquarters of) a religious institution, but is also a nation state with (political) diplomatic relations with other nation states such as Spain. – bruised reed Oct 5 '17 at 20:11
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    As a Catholic, I have a similar question -- how is this the Pope's business to comment upon in that way -- beyond the historical facts that a variety of popes have put their fingers into European politics to a lesser or greater extent over the years. Is your question about theology, Catholic doctrine, scripture, or papal authority ... or a mix of all? When you ask "what religious basis" I am left somewhat at a loss, since religious basis is a vague term. – KorvinStarmast Oct 5 '17 at 20:32
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    Is the actual quotation available? – bradimus Oct 5 '17 at 21:00
  • @korvinstarmast I'm pretty sure that the Holy See is the name of the entity that carries on diplomatic relationships. – Matt Gutting Oct 5 '17 at 21:16
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    This in fact is a complex question to answer due to the fact that the Vatican's Secretariat of State (dicastery of the Roman Curia) is divided into two sections: the Section for General Affairs and the Section for Relations with States. As the supreme leader of both a country (Holy See) and a world religion (Catholic). The Vatican does not have to have a doctrinal justification with the Catalina issue. This is a political question and would be dwelt within the Section for Relations with States. As for the 400 hundred priests supporting its' independence: They're Spanish are they not? – Ken Graham Oct 5 '17 at 23:58

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