The Councilor of Heritage of the Cabildo, Ariagona González, has responded to the Teguise City Council and has insisted that the Diocese of the Canary Islands is the one who has to pay for the repair of the churches. "The conservation, execution of the work and financing corresponds to the Church, to the owner of the property," she said.
González has spoken in this way, after the Teguise City Council sent a statement announcing that the City Council, the Cabildo and the Diocese of the Canary Islands had met in search of an agreement to restore ecclesiastical property. "We have to pull together and allocate an annual budget item to subsidize the interventions," said the mayor in the press release, which stated that the objective of the meeting had been to jointly program actions for the restoration and conservation of hermitages, churches and other assets of the island's ecclesiastical heritage.
This meeting took place three weeks after the parish priest publicly denounced the landslides that are taking place on the walls of the Church of Guatiza, pointing out that he had been warning the institutions of the situation of the temple for years. However, although a Heritage technician from the Cabildo attended the meeting, the Councilor for the area has stated that it was because "they met by chance." "It was not an arranged meeting, not even promoted," she assured.
"Actually, the technician was visiting those heritage assets owned by the Church in Teguise, she met the councilor and the vicar and accompanied them to visit those properties as well," she explained. "Simply what happened is that they were doing the same thing and, obviously, since they were doing the same thing, they already accompanied each other to see the situation, but it was not a requested or promoted meeting," added the Councilor of Heritage of the Cabildo, who was not present since she claims that she was not even summoned.
Inspection of several properties of the Church in Teguise
Although Patrimonio insists that the Church is "responsible" for the conservation of its assets, following the news published in La Voz with the complaint of the parish priest of Teguise, an inspection of the Church of Guatiza was ordered, which has already been carried out. And not only that, but other properties such as the Santo Domingo Convent and the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe have also been inspected, both located in La Villa de Teguise. This was specified by Ariagona González, who stated that it was during that inspection when the Heritage technician coincided with the representatives of the City Council and the Church.
In fact, she pointed out that these visits were made "ex officio", following the news published in La Voz. And it should be remembered that González already assured that Patrimonio was unaware of the state of the Church of Guatiza. "We found out through the news published," she said more than two weeks ago.
Regarding the deficiencies that have been found in the inspected properties, the councilor has pointed out that she is waiting to receive the reports from the technicians, which are "in the process of being drafted." However, in addition to what was denounced by the parish priest with respect to the Church of Guatiza, images of the state of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe have also arrived at La Voz in recent days, in which numerous dampness and broken glass can be seen, among other damages.
"These reports will include the deficiencies that have been found in the properties, so that the Church is aware of them and can proceed to draft the projects, so that they can then send them to the Heritage Council, we can authorize them and they can begin to execute the works," said Ariagona González.
"The Heritage Law of the Canary Islands confers on the heritage inspection services of the different councils the obligation to ensure the existing heritage assets regardless of who owns them, and the Cabildo of Lanzarote is also competent to self-edit the conservation and restoration projects that the owners of the assets want to do. That is our function and it is what we do both with the Church and with the assets that are privately owned, but that's it. Afterwards, in terms of conservation, execution of the work and financing, it corresponds to the Church," she reiterated.
However, the councilor has confirmed that there is also the possibility that Patrimonio intervenes ex officio and then claims the cost of the repair from the Church. "That could be done, but obviously we want everyone to be responsible for their properties and not have to go through that procedure," she said in any case, expressing her confidence that "the Diocese will take responsibility" for the repair of the properties.
