I had gleaned scant information
about Dr Bernard Linares, the Minister,
and typically the GSD website
lacked information apart from some
details about his education. As we
shook hands and walked into his
small office I could see even more
paperwork here and it occurred to
me this too was not just an office but
a workspace. The Minister sat at his
desk because his chair is better to
support his back and given he is 72,
I figured he is entitled to have a bad
back.
“So Minister, I assume you were
born in Gibraltar?”
“Actually I was born in La Linea
in 1934. My father was British,
Gibraltarian and my mother was
Spanish. A lot of people in those
days lived in La Linea and worked
in Gibraltar. The closing of the border
many years later made it the issue
it became but it was totally natural
to live there just as people live in
Spain and work in Gibraltar today.
My father was an accountant for
Saccone & Speed, my mother worked in the home.
“We were evacuated in 1940/41
as most if not all the women and
children were as well as the non-essential
men. In fact I have always
found it amusing that my father
stayed behind as an essential worker
like my uncles. One was a policeman,
one a chemist but my father?
Well he was essential because he
worked in a wine merchants!”
“I heard evacuation was quite
tough especially on those who went
to North Africa?” “No not really. It was hard for
many of them but we chose to move
to Tangiers. Those that were forcibly
sent away had their travel paid
by the Government, those that chose
Tangiers and Madeira I believe had
to pay for themselves which we did.
We lived a fairly comfortable existence
though estranged.
“I had a good education with the
Christian Brothers who were there
too. When we came back after the
war I went to Gibraltar’s first Grammar
school. It was called ‘Plata Villa’
down Witham’s Road, started by the
Christian Brothers and when it outgrew
the building because of the
number of pupils it moved to the
upper town and was known as ‘Sacred
Heart Grammar School’, above
Sacred Heart Church.
“The headmaster was a lovely
man called Brother Foley and I finished
my early education there with
‘A’ levels in Art, Physics and Spanish.
Remarkably of the 12 students
in the 6th Form, six passed their ‘A’
levels. Of those six, four were given scholarships and the crazy thing
was that three of us who finished
that year decided to become
priests.” “Odd?” I asked. “Perhaps it was
the catholic upbringing. A lot of
young catholic boys think about the
priesthood especially when struggling
to find a path through life. Did
you have any idea what you were
going to do?”
“Not really,” he answered. “It is
true what you say but I just had this
desire to… help people. It sounds so
pompous now but I just felt there
was more to life. I wanted to be of
use in whatever field that may be.
Ultimately the priesthood was my
calling so we went to see Bishop
Fitzgerald, Brother Foley was very
proud of our decision.
“The Bishop told us we would
have to go to England for a blitz
course in Latin and Greek which
was a requirement for acceptance in
Roman Universities where he
wanted to send us for our theological
and philosophical studies. That
is what the meeting was about, what
would happen and where we would
be educated. As we listened I remember
the impact the Bishop’s
words had on me, almost finalising
my decision. Bishop Fitzgerald said,
‘Walking in the streets of Rome is an
education.’ I knew what I wanted to
do.
“We started our studies in
Campion House in Osterley , London.
Campion House was a well
known Jesuit college for ‘late vocations’,
people who had turned to the
priesthood late in life. At 18 we were
the ‘benjamins’ there. We were there
for two years and it wasn’t just
learning we were almost being
tested to see if our hearts were really
in for it. We used to collect grass
for the compost and other menial
tasks daily, as well as the usual
prayers, studies and mass. After one
year, one of our three left and went
home to Gibraltar, chose another
path and became very successful.
“In 1954 I headed off to Rome, I
was lucky to be heading to the
Gregorian University, another Jesuit
academic power house, a real ‘think
tank’. I was going to the Venerable
English College in Rome, steeped in
history and tradition with a magnificent
reputation for excellence.
“Each student was assigned a
chore — I was the ‘wine man’ for a
year before getting involved in the
archives full of parchments dating
back to the Hospice for the English
in 1362.
“I spent nine years in Rome, with
some great memories including being
ordained in 1960 along with others
in the Chapel of the College itself
with my parents and grandmother
present at the ceremony
which was a rare occurrence.
“In 1962 to mark the ‘sexcentary’ around 80 of us from the College
had a semi-private audience with
Pope John 23rd. A wonderful Pope
who served God for the people. He
tried to modernise the Catholic
Church and open it to everyone. It
is one of the reasons I chose Anglican
Theology as my thesis. I actually
lived in Rome during the reign
of three Popes, Pius 12th, John 23rd
and Paul 6th.
“Another memorable event in my
life was being very lucky to attend
the opening of the Vatican Council.
Obviously all bishops had to attend
and Cardinal Heenan the Archbishop
of Westminister and Primate
of the Catholic Bishops in England,
was, of course attending the Council.
It was decreed that Bishops had
to be accompanied by a cleric. The
Cardinal hadn’t brought one so I
was chosen as his personal secretary.
It was a very special moment for me
and something I will never forget.
“I finally came back to Gibraltar
in 1963 where I took up the post as
Curate in the Catholic Cathedral. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” The question threw me as I was
writing furiously and trying to take
in this imagery and experience. I
was even beginning to think there
was a whole different angle here
about the Catholic Church in Rome. “Er... yes please Minister,” I answered.
“Bernard,” he said. “Call me
Bernard.”
Well, I looked at my watch as the
coffee was being prepared, the Minister
had said I could have around
30-45 minutes and we had only five
of those left.
“I’m sorry Minister, but can I ask
you about the transition from Priest
to Unionist?”
“Of course,” he said.
“Well what I don’t understand is
how does a man dedicated to a life
serving the people, with vows, get
into union politics?”
“It wasn’t about politics. It was
about getting young people, young
Christians, involved in social issues,
taking responsibility for themselves
and making life better for all young and old alike. I got involved in the
Young Christians Workers for these
reasons. I also got involved in the
Morroccan Workers’ Association
and the Town Range Tenant Association
as well. All these organisations
were trying to improve life and
conditions in Gibraltar and I felt it
my duty to do what I could.
“Why the Town Range Tenants
Association?” I wondered.
“Well when the border closed in
1969 all the people like my parents
that lived in La Linea and further
afield had to move into Gibraltar.
The AACR Government under
Joshua Hassan moved many of
them to a rundown area of town full
of old derelict barrack buildings
along the back of No. 6 where these
beautiful residences are today. It was
a slum to be honest and the only
way they could improve conditions
was through the tenants’ association
of which I was a member. The
Hassan Government had to put
them somewhere we just didn’t
want them forgotten about.
“Of course not everybody was
enamoured by my activities and
Bishop Healy came under a lot of
pressure to curtail my involvement.
I was accused of neglecting my vocational
duties but I was ministering
to the very people I should. I
pointed out that something like 75%
of weddings were ministered by me
for the very reason that I was on the
streets talking to these people and
they knew me.
“The Bishop was as kind as he
could be but in the end I asked for a
leave of absence — that still meant I
kept my vows while I did what I felt
was right. I moved back in with my
parents and luckily was able to get
a job in the TGWU as the Branch Officer
for the Private Sector. I was
able to help the weaker people in
this sector — Moroccan workers,
shop assistants etc. — and in fact
helped increase membership from 2500 to 7000.
“After 4 years for various reasons
I left the union but found myself
without a job and I asked Brother
Foley, who was the Headmaster of
Bayside school if he could help
which he did by giving me a job at
the school.
“At this time Monsignor Rapello
asked me what I was going to do as
I couldn’t have a leave of absence
forever from the church. Again I was
lucky in my life as people were in
places that helped me. The modern
outlook of the church at this time
enabled Pope Paul 6th to grant me
dispensation to my vows so I could
remain within the family of the
church yet live a life with family if I
so wished.
“Luckily I met my wife Maricela
Candeas and we were married in
1976 in the Shrine of Our Lady of
Europa by the then Bishop, and
good friend, Bishop Bernard Devlin,
now retired. We have three lovely
children John who is an architect,
James who has graduated from Cardiff
University with a Degree in English
Literature and is taking up carpentry
so he can visit poorer nations
of the world and give them practical
help and skills. Finally there is
our daughter Isabella who is 15
years old.”
“Life had certainly been full of
events so far but at what point did
you get into politics and Government?”
I asked. “To be honest it never occurred to
me. For the next 20 years I taught at
Bayside School. Social Education
and Religious studies, as well as
Pastoral Care and helping to introduce
pastoral care into Gibraltar. I
finished off my working life, or so I
thought as head teacher for six years
retiring in 1994. My wife continued
the family tradition teaching as she
still does in St Joseph’s School to this
day.”
“So how did you get involved with Peter Caruana?” I asked. “Peter Montegriffo actually introduced
me to him. I think they
thought I was a bit of a vote catcher,”
he said with a glint in his eye. “I was
asked to stand in the election which
I was happy to do on the understanding
that the only department I
wanted was Education. It is always
close to my soul. “For the last 10 years I have been
here and we have achieved much. I
am proud of the achievements of not
just the Government but the Education
Department. Gibraltar has a
good education system and students
who work very hard and do us
proud.”
“Minister if I could just ask you a
couple more questions I’ll let you get
on. Do you have any political or personal
ambitions left after such a varied
life?”
“On a political note I would like
to see a new spirit of friendship, cooperation
and dialogue between
ourselves and the people and Government
of Spain and I hope the Tripartite
Agreement will augur this
for our future.
“On a personal level I just want
to see my family be happy and develop
in a safe place. I have been
lucky overall with people I’ve met.
The dark days of leaving the priesthood
were difficult but I also have
wonderful memories like my ordination,
the Vatican council and the
beautiful day I married my wife.”
“Minister thank you very much
for your time, I have one last question
before I go. You are 72 now and
the elections are due next year so
will you be running again?”He looked at me through his
glasses, smiled and said “No comment.”
So I was foiled again by a lovely
man who has so much more to tell
than I could fit into these few paragraphs.
Kid, Student, Priest, Unionist,
Husband, Father and Politician...
next time you see him walking along
Main Street, ask him if his back is
better and remember what he has
achieved through education.
