Editing ETA (separatist group) (section)

===Clerical support===
Despite its far-left orientation, ETA was founded by students of the Benedictine seminary in [[Lazkao]] and owed its ability to survive the Francoist years of harsh repression to the support of Basque clergy, with many Basque priests having strong nationalist and separatist tendencies. With the approval of the local ecclesiastical hierarchy, ETA was able to store its weapons in churches, chapels and monasteries. According to the US researcher Robert P. Clark, 73% of Basque priests were members of ETA in 1968.<ref name="llanos">{{cite book |title=Separatyzm baskijski: historia, współczesność, perspektywy |language=pl |first=Anna |last=Llanos-Antczak |publisher=Dom Wydawniczy ELISPA |year=2019 |isbn=978-83-8017-280-7 |page=157}}</ref> ETA was also able to survive because of profound sympathy it found in the [[French Basque Country]], and the support of local nationalists and clergy granted ETA safe haven in France, where it was beyond the reach of Francoist security forces.<ref>{{cite book |title=Endgame for ETA: Elusive Peace in the Basque Country |publisher=Oxford University Press |first=Teresa |last=Whitfield |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-938754-0 |page=43}}</ref>

Basque clergy was also important in terms of ideology of the organization, as it provided ETA with both new members as well as influences of the far-left [[liberation theology]]. Largely protected from Francoist persecution, Basque-speaking priests educated members of ETA in the nationalist faith and were considered the guardians of Basque language and culture, heavily influencing Basque nationalism. Basque nationalism acquired a religious character, as evidenced by the motto of [[Basque Nationalist Party]], ‘Jaun-Goikua eta Legi Zarra’ (God and Old Laws). [[Sabino Arana]], the father of Basque nationalism, argued that the Basque Country could not be truly Catholic as long as it was dependent on Spain, and portrayed his struggle for independent Euskadi not as a political project, but rather as something that was ‘about saving souls’.<ref>{{cite thesis |title=Ethnicity and Violence: The Case of Radical Basque Nationalism |first=Diego |last=Muro Ruiz |degree=Doctor of Philosophy |year=2004 |publisher=ProQuest LLC. |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/46519284.pdf |pages=161–162}}</ref>

ETA-supportive clergy accepted the violence of ETA, following the beliefs of liberation theology and seeing it as a part of the oppressed people's aspiration for freedom and independence. The Archbishop of [[San Sebastián]] [[José María Setién]] repeatedly justified the actions of ETA in his statements, causing consternation and even indignation in Spain. His statement that dialogue with ETA should have begun before it even stopped the attacks was condemned by the [[Philippines|Filipino]] [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]] [[Jose Tomas Sanchez]].<ref name="llanos"/> Catholic clergy then played an important role in trying to mediate the conflict; in 1998 the Catholic organisation [[Community of Sant'Egidio]] offered to negotiate with the Spanish government on behalf of ETA, but it was turned down by the Minister of Interior [[Jaime Mayor Oreja]]. ETA still enjoyed support of the Basque clergy in the 2000s, with sympathetic priests such as [[:es:Joseba Segura Etxezarraga|Joseba Segura Etxezarraga]] consistently encouraging the Spanish government to enter dialogue.<ref>{{cite book |title=Endgame for ETA: Elusive Peace in the Basque Country |publisher=Oxford University Press |first=Teresa |last=Whitfield |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-938754-0 |page=130}}</ref>