Cardinal and Archbishop of Valencia, Antonio Cañizares, was lightly wounded in a traffic accident early on Saturday as he drove by car to Ávila to attend the profession of vows of a Carmelite nun.
The car Canizares, who raised much controversy this week by accusing refugees and immigrants to be invading Europe and to be the "Trojan horse" of the continent, words by yesterday apologized, has been hit by another driven by a woman who has failed a breathalyser test.
Cardinal has suffered a cut on his head and a muscular contracture, leading his arm in a sling and will have to rest four days. The others involved in the incident have not suffered significant injuries. The archbishop of Valencia has issued a statement in which he pointed to the driver that the vehicle has collided against the cardinal "could have jumped a traffic light in red."
A spokesman for the local police has not confirmed, however, such end, and indicated that the accident is being investigated to ascertain the circumstances in which they occurred.
The car of the archbishop, who has attained 70 years this week, has been hit from behind, also by another vehicle after suffering the first accident, around 6:30 am on Avenida del Cid, leaving Valencia to Madrid.
The driver has collided against Canizares has been fined for driving after drinking, but has not been arrested, said the police spokesman. The reason is that exceeded the limit but within the range of between 0.25 and 0.60 milligrams of alcohol per liter of exhaled air. Above the barrier itself is a crime against traffic safety.
Canizares caused a stir this week to ask for a breakfast briefing: "This invasion of migrants and refugees is all clean wheat? Where will Europe within a few years? ". And add that the reception of foreigners in the framework of the immigration crisis in the continent "today may be something that looks good, but it really is the Trojan horse within European societies and specifically the Spanish".
Archbishop three days later apologized for his words, but saying he had been misunderstood. "Always have a brother in me that welcomes and defends, who shares his tragedy, and I will diminish to nothing and my personal support or institutional support of the diocese," he said Friday on refugees.
After attending the religious ceremony in Avila, Canizares was due to fly to Rome to concelebrate with the pope Francisco Mass of canonization of the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, the archbishop reported. But the trip has been canceled by the accident.
