The murder of an American priest and cultural shifts in Spain

On January 20, a Catholic priest, Fr Richard K. Gross from Boston, was murdered on the first day of his holiday in the Andalusian city of Málaga, Spain.

His death has left the Catholic community bereft of a remarkable priest. Fr Gross served as a chaplain and pastor at the Newman Center at the University of Connecticut, as well as at Vanderbilt and LaSalle Universities. In his later years, he resided at Boston College High School and frequently celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Good Voyage in Boston’s Seaport. The circumstances surrounding his death remain the subject of an ongoing investigation.

Evidence suggests, however, that he was assaulted upon entering the flat he had rented for his stay. His belongings were stolen, and he died of asphyxiation, likely due to an intentional effort to suffocate him.

The murder has reignited a longstanding tension: the impact of tourism on a country that relies heavily on it for economic stability and the socio-economic influence it exerts on Spanish society.

Many Spaniards feel that the country is reaching a breaking point, with nearly 100 million tourists visiting in 2024. This frustration culminated in protests in April of that year, with demonstrations taking place in the Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as in the cities of Barcelona and Málaga. Protesters forced tourists to leave restaurants, telling them to “go home” while a spate of vandalism ensued, with slogans such as “Guiris go home” sprawled across walls and street signs. The term “guiri,” a racialised pejorative, is commonly used in Spain to describe foreigners of Northern European descent.

However, as many are quick to point out, tourism has long been a crucial pillar of the Spanish economy, a reality that has only become more pronounced in recent years. In 2024, Spain stood out as one of the few European countries whose economy grew, with an impressive 3.2 per cent increase in GDP. It ranked third among European nations in terms of growth, behind only Malta and Montenegro—two countries with a combined population barely exceeding a million, making rapid economic expansion easier.

Foreign visitors in 2024 spent €126 billion, a figure that does not include the increasing number of foreign nationals who reside in Spain but work remotely for companies abroad. Spanish visas are particularly appealing to the growing class of “digital nomads” who require only a laptop to conduct their daily work. Currently, 13.8 per cent of Spain’s workforce is employed in the tourism sector.

The challenges posed by this sector are tangible in the lives of Spanish citizens. Soaring rents make living in prime locations impossible, home ownership has become an unrealistic dream for young people, and the dilution of local customs and cuisine makes Spain feel increasingly less Spanish. It is understandable that many believe measures must be put in place.

Local governments have begun addressing these concerns, with further regulations likely to follow this year. Málaga has imposed a three-year ban on new holiday rentals in 43 neighbourhoods to alleviate housing shortages and rising costs for residents. Barcelona now imposes two separate taxes on tourists: a “Catalan tourist tax” and a “municipal tourist tax,” meaning that visitors staying in a hotel for a week could pay as much as €52.50 more than a Spanish resident.

The response to Fr Gross’s murder has echoed these tensions. According to The Olive Press, an English-language newspaper in Spain, local opinion holds that the crime was likely a robbery gone wrong, perpetrated by Moroccan immigrants. The derogatory term “Los Morros” is often used to refer to Spain’s Moroccan community, which is frequently blamed for job taking, drug dealing and general bad behaviour, along with the “gitanos”, Spanish Roma.

The prevailing theory is that criminals from these disavowed groups are drawn to Málaga due to its influx of tourists, leading to higher levels of crime. In turn, law enforcement becomes desensitised to the increased criminal activity, creating a cycle that perpetuates further offences. The crime, the victim and the response are perceived as external to Spanish society.

However, the Spanish disdain for their most necessary economic pillar has not led to much introspection. At present six per cent of Spaniards live abroad—a greater proportion than in France or Germany. The 2.9 million Spaniards who have left their homeland are unlikely to have done so for better beaches, but rather for better job prospects. South-West London holds the highest concentration of Spaniards outside Spain, with shared houses filled with young, well-educated professionals seeking opportunities that their country has failed to provide.

If Spain successfully curbs its tourism problem and eliminates its most profitable visitors, it will almost certainly no longer enjoy its current economic prosperity. This will likely result in an even greater wave of Spanish economic migrants seeking opportunities beyond the Iberian Peninsula. And if Spaniards truly resent “guiris” enough to deny them a holiday, they may find that other countries are less willing to accommodate their own citizens seeking better futures abroad.

(Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)

The post The murder of an American priest and cultural shifts in Spain first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post The murder of an American priest and cultural shifts in Spain appeared first on Catholic Herald.