 In this position, he had to confront the difficult last years of the Francoist State and of caudillo Francisco Franco, in which relationships between Government and Church were tense.As a close ally of Pope Paul VI, Tarancón was seen as an enemy by the Francoist elements.Some of them made popular the cry ""Tarancón al paredón"" ("Tarancón up against the wall", meaning to be executed by firing squad) during the funeral of prime minister Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, assassinated in Madrid by Basque terrorist organization ETA on 20 December 1973.