Blaming the victim: A Catholic archbishop tells his congregation that the root cause of domestic violence is a woman’s disobedience to her husband.

Speaking to his congregation in Toledo, Spain, Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez said that wives could escape being physically abused by not being disobedient and by not asking their husbands for a divorce.

Rodriguez, who is the Archbishop of Toledo, spoke to his congregation about relationships at a sermon held in Toledo Cathedral on December 27.

In addition to blaming women for domestic violence, the archbishop criticised “false marriages” and “quickie divorces.”

Rodriguez said:

The majority of cases of domestic violence happen because the woman’s partner does not accept them, or rejects them for not accepting their demands.

Referring to domestic violence as a “macho reaction” the archbishop added:

… often the macho reaction comes about because she (the wife) asked for a separation.

(Note: there is nothing “macho” or masculine about domestic abuse. Such behavior is the antithesis of masculine, and reflects a deficit in both character and intellect.)

As one might expect, reaction to the Archbishop’s unjustifiable justification for domestic violence has been one of outrage and anger.

In Spain, the archbishop has been accused of “inciting violence” and thousands of furious Spanish women have taken to social media to slam the misogynistic cleric.

One wrote:

The archbishop of Toledo has linked domestic violence to couples not being in a ‘proper marriage’. So says the celibate man who believes in a ghost.

Another added:

He should be locked up for inciting violence. This idiot should keep his medieval views to himself.

The Huffington Post reports that the archbishop has refused to comment on the criticism. In addition, Father Thomas Rosica, an English-language spokesman for the Vatican, declined to comment on the offensive remarks.

In 2015, 56 women were killed in Spain because of domestic violence, and more than one million cases of domestic violence have been dealt with by the Spanish courts since 2007.