Spanish priest found guilty of ‘hate crime’ after criticizing Muslim persecution of Christians

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Spanish priest found guilty of ‘hate crime’ after criticizing Muslim persecution of Christians
Barcelona priest Fr. Custodio Ballester was found guilty and now faces prison time for warning that ‘Islam does not allow dialogue’ with Christianity.



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Oct 6, 2025
(LifeSiteNews) — Sentencing for a Spanish priest who this past week was found guilty of making “Islamophobic” comments more than seven years ago has Catholics as well as free speech advocates concerned.

In February, Father Custodio Ballester was summoned by a regional court in Spain to respond to charges that he had committed a “hate crime” for calling attention to the unjust treatment Christians receive in Islamic majority countries.

Ballester, who serves as a parish priest in Barcelona, was charged with violating Spanish law in 2020 when the state prosecutor in Catalonia claimed that an article Ballester wrote in 2016 titled “The Impossible Dialogue with Islam” met the criteria of a “hate crime.”

Ballester wrote his essay in response to a pastoral letter by his superior, the archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Juan José Omella, titled “The Necessary Dialogue with Islam.” In his rebuttal, Ballester wrote: “This new reactivation of Christian-Muslim dialogue, paralyzed by the alleged ‘imprudences’ on the part of the late Pope Benedict XVI, is very far from becoming a reality. Islam does not allow dialogue. For Islam, either you believe, or you are an infidel who must be subdued one way or another.”

Ballester has also previously made remarks critical of LGBT ideology.

Ballester’s case involves Father Jesús Calvo and journalist Armando Robles. They had been accused of making “Islamophobic” remarks on a 2017 podcast by the Association of Spanish Muslims Against Islamophobia. The Málaga Provincial Court handed down its ruling earlier this week.

Ballester told Catholic News Agency that his statements “have never been discriminatory or hateful.” He also said, “they want to use me as an example so that others censor themselves.”

Violating Spain’s hate crime law carries a penalty of anywhere from one to four years in prison with additional financial penalties. Ballester says that he expects his sentencing may be delayed due to political pressure, and that he will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if he is sentenced with jail time.

Several dozen supporters held signs at the courthouse when the decision was handed down. Law firm Abogados Cristiano has collected nearly 30,000 signatures on a petition supporting Ballester’s innocence. Clergy in Spain have largely remained silent, however. CNA reports that Cardinal Omella “has only offered private words of support, without issuing a public statement.”

“People are very angry about the excessive sentences being sought for ‘hate crimes,’ which are comparable to those sought for sexual assault or leaving someone paralyzed in a fight,” Ballester told CNA.

When previously asked whether he was prepared to spend three years in prison if convicted, Ballester said: “It doesn’t seem right to be convicted for something I’ve said, but in Spain anything is possible. But if I am convicted, this will no longer be Spain but Pakistan, where you can be killed for blaspheming the Koran or Mohammed.”

“There is no longer any true right to free speech in Spain,” he added.

According to Islamic Sharia law, Christians and Jews who refuse to convert to Islam are not recognized as full citizens but considered semi-slaves called “dhimmi” who have to pay a special tax called “jizyah.” The OpenDoors “Word Watch List” shows that the majority of the top 50 countries in which Christians are most persecuted are Islamic states.