Josep Torras i Bages

Josep Torras i Bages (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛp ˈtorəs]), born at Les Cabanyes, Alt Penedès, on 12 September 1846 - died at Vic, Osona, on 7 February 1916) was a Catalan thinker, writer and bishop. He was one of the main figures in the turn of the 20th century Catholic Catalan nationalism.

Josep Torras strongly criticized the secularism displayed by the "militant nationalism" of Enric Prat de la Riba (1870–1917). In 1892 he wrote La tradició catalana, where he emphasized Conservative Nationalism and warned against the erosion of Christian values. Exalting rural life, the family, religion and the love of Catalan language, the land and the language took an almost mystical dimension in his point of view. He was convinced that the Catalan nation had to be Christian in order to establish itself as something enduring and meaningful in the future, his words "Catalunya serà cristiana o no serà" (Catalonia will be Christian or will not be) are engraved at the gate of Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey.

Torras was very interested in the study of the seny, a virtue often considered a Catalan cultural symbol, and encouraged others, like Josep Abril i Virgili and Jaume Raventós, to do so. Based on good sense and wisdom, seny was perceived by Torras to originate in the traditional Catalan rural farm (casa pairal or masia). The life in the traditional non-urban setting with its frugality, hard work and religious piety was the right ground for the development of the values and social norms embodied in the Catalan seny.

In 1882 Torras became counselor of bishop of Barcelona J. M. Urquinaona. Specializing in conflict-solving among Catholics, he also was the censor of some newspapers that were compromised in certain inner troubles (procesos canónicos) of the Spanish Church at the time.

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