Montilla, June 17th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Events to mark the 20th anniversary of Montilla Evangelical Church began on June 12th and will continue until spring 2005. Montilla, a medium-sized town in the southern province in Córdoba, is an instance of how the Christian church is growing in the Spanish hinterland.

Events began with a Cultural Week planned in conjunction with the local Council and whose objective was to commemorate the town’s most famous citizen, Juan Pérez de Pineda, Secretary to Luther’s great adversary, Emperor Charles V, in the 16th century. Yet Pineda embraced the Reformed Protestant faith and had to flee to exile in Switzerland.

The inaugural act was atended by the Mayor, Antonio Carpio, and  the first pastor of the Church, Ronaldo Anderson. The week included exhibitions and talks and the presentation of a facsimile version of Pineda’s most famous work, ‘The Consolatory Epistle’, written to encourage his co-religionists who were caught and tried ­ and murdered ­ by the Inquisition.

Over the last 20 years, Montilla Evangelical Church has held many activities to present the Gospel in the town ­ children’s clubs, concerts and cultural activities, as well as the more traditional church services. More recently, it has become involved in the drug rehabilitation centre, ‘The Good Samaritan’, which is located nearby.

It was in 1984 that word went round Montilla that ‘the Protestants’ had arrived. That summer they received a popular welcome and several hundred people attended concerts and films put on in the open-air. Sunday services began that same year and today about 50 people from Montilla and three outlying villages make up the congregation which meets in Ancha Street.

Madrid, June 18th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The boom in religiosity in postmodern culture means Christian thinkers require special discernment.” So says Baptist theologian Samuel Escobar. “A faith consisting merely of some ideas about God and Christian life…does not have much to offer the spiritual hunger of today’s generation.”

Escobar, who was previously Chairman of the International Bible Society, says “the commercialisation of faith which uses people’s spiritual needs is entering the evangelical world.” Lucky charms sell like hotcakes, Madonna leading the charge. She has given bracelets to Britney Spears, Demi Moore and David and Victoria Beckham. The fact that they are worn by the rich and famous makes the ‘Cabala’ belief behind them more acceptable to many. The ‘Cabala’ is a millenarian cult come out of Judaism and which puts an symbolic interpretation on the Bible. Its modern version is all the rage in Beverly Hills.

Yet Escobar remains hopeful that the search for spiritual satisfaction can be an open door for the communication of the Gospel. Escobar warns though that the lack of evangelical spirituality may make people look elsewhere for answers. Hence the proliferation of new ‘apostles’ and ‘sacred objects.’ Christians need to offer a life based on prayer and other spiritual disciplines, and not just orthodox ideas.

Madrid, June 18th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Ecumenical relations in Spain have stalled’, says an expert referring to the reverses suffered following initial enthusiasm in some circles produced by Vatican II euphoria.

In Spain, inter-confessional relations are more difficult than in many other European countries due to the absolute dominance of the Roman Catholic Church (83.6% against barely 2.5% Protestant and Orthodox). Even the Catholic bishop of Bilbao said recently that “our country has a Catholic majority, and is known for having defended her Catholic unity.” The oft-quoted Ferede figure of 350,000 Protestants is almost certainly highly optimistic, and the number of Russian Orthodox adherents is even lower, despite a significant increase through recent Rumanian immigration. There are also many evangelical believers among the Rumanians who have moved to Spain in the last few years.

The Vatican’s argument against the creation of a Spanish Council of Churches is the lack of an ecumenical base, and the huge difference in social status of the non-Catholic churches compared to Rome. A leading expert on ecumenism in Spain, José Luis Díaz, says the lack of a Council is not the only problem, that there are other ways of having dialogue, but that the Catholic leadership is not interested. “Is there theological or pastoral dialogue with other brethren? No. Are there conversations and cordial relations between Orthodox and Protestant leaders, and the Catholic bishops or the Commission for Inter-confessional relations? No. Are the bishops aware, interested in or in favour of ecumenism in Spain? No.”

Mariano Blázquez, Executive Secretary of the Ferede, says they are interested, but the Catholic hierarchy is not. However, it is doubtful that many of the 2,000 or so Protestant congregations in Spain are all that interested either; after all, as the apostle Paul puts it: ‘What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?’ (2 Cor 6:16). If ecumenism is indeed dying out, then this may clear the way to preach the Gospel more clearly.

Madrid, June 19th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Catholic Church has also joined the electoral bandwagon...in its own way. Several prelates have called on their church members to vote against lay tendencies in society and those who impose them, ie. the Socialist and United Left Parties.

Specifically, in a pastoral letter, several bishops said Catholics “should not vote for parties which make laicism a flagship of their policies.” Without actually naming the parties, they blamed those who promoted laicism for the increasing secularisation of Spanish society, and for making it the ‘new public religion.’ Their alternative is what they call ‘Christian humanism’, a view which apparently does not forget the Christian roots of Europe, rapidly being lost in the modern sea of secularism.

Madrid, June 19th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The newly-elected Socialist Party held a meeting recently with representatives of the Vatican to explain their policies against a background of great concern in Catholic circles at the shift towards liberal ethics and secularism seen in the government’s programme.

A notable member of the Socialist delegation was Defence Minister, José Bono, but not because there were matters of military significance to discuss. Bono is the one Socialist Minister who is a practising Catholic, and also thought to have close links with the Catholic sect, Opus Dei. Madrid is obviously worried enough about the papal view that it included the Vatican on its list of top-priority visits ­ along with Morocco, London or Mexico ­ following its election. Prime Minister Zapatero is keen to establish a different line from his predecessor when it comes to foreign policy.

Yet the visit to Rome has more to do with domestic politics as its plans to legalise abortion, homosexual unions and embryonic research have caused consternation among the Spanish Catholic hierarchy (not to mention evangelical circles, of course). Another major issue is the government’s decision to reverse the previous government’s decision to make Religious Education a compulsory subject in state schools. The faithful are likely to take to the streets over this one.

Relations between Spain and the Vatican reached an all-time high under the Prime Ministership of José María Aznar, and Zapatero is keen to avoid unnecessary conflict. He will probably try to argue that his policies are in keeping with a more liberal society determined to uphold human rights and equality. Though not for unborn babies, it seems.

Madrid, June 19th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Spanish football squad ­ minus one of its members, evangelical Christian Juan Valerón ­ went en masse to Santiago Cathedral in north-west Spain to ask for special assistance in their efforts in football’s European Championship in Portugal.

They walked the final 500 yards of the Pilgrims’ Way to Santiago amidst chaotic scenes in which the numbers of police were quite insufficient to hold back the crowds who wanted to see or touch their idols. When the team did eventually manage to get inside the Cathedral, their goal was another idol ­ the silver casket allegedly containing the remains of one of Jesus’ disciples, James. The Dean of the Cathedral, Manuel Calvo, spoke in footballing terms as he appealed to Spanish pride, character and passion, as he wished the team luck as they made their offering in the name of Spain to a statue representing James.

Raúl González, team captain, ‘asked’ the apostle to help the poor and needy of the world, those who work hard at their jobs and studies, those who look after our safety, families and all those who strive to make our world a better place. Why does it occur to nobody to ask Jesus Christ for these things, but rather an obscure tin box stuck in an out-of-the-way medieval cathedral (whether or not James’s bones are actually in it)?

The manager, Iñaki Sáez, said “a little help” would not go amiss, after they had made an offering to the apostle James in Santiago Cathedral on their way to Portugal. A rather roundabout route from Madrid, as it happens.

(PS. In the light of the above, it is rather amusing to note that the first Spanish player to score a goal in the Championship was precisely the one player who did not offer anything to the apostle; Valerón.)

Madrid, June 22nth, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Young Western males are much more likely to die during the early years of adulthood than their femal counterparts, due to a series of cultural, sexual and lifestyle factors. In fact, the male-female mortality ratio during this period is three to one.

New research conducted by the American Psychological Society, compares mortality rates in 20 countries with a series of causes. Sexual differences have much to do with it, according to investigators. “A series of genes promote in men the capacity to take risks and be competitive without taking precautions as to the recovery of strength or the avoidance of illness.” Physiological differences are also determinative; men have less resistance to infections, injuries, stress and degenerative diseases.

Factors such as war and political changes have an impact, as ­ apparently ­ does the search for a partner. Medical advances have reduced the mortality rate for a number of diseases, but now men are more likely to die from chronic illness related to lifestyle and age. Watch your step, lads.

Madrid, June 22nth, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Children used to watch cartoons until about the age of 12, but now prefer to watch TV series and adult programmes from the age of 7 onwards. The Director of Spanish state TV, Juan Menor, claims that the introduction of an evening watershed has not altered the habits of younger children, and that the peak viewing times for them continue to be 8.30am, 2pm and 10.30pm.

More than 800,000 children under the age of 14 watch an average of 41 minutes prime-time TV, outside the ‘protected’ time band (though many complain that such ‘protection’ is virtually non-existent). 400,000 children watch TV at midnight and favourite programmes include such horror shows as ‘Big Brother’. Spanish TV is preparing two guides on how to watch television, one aimed at parents and teachers, the other at the children themselves. 

Research shows that two out of three parents admit they do not control the TV their children watch, 31% of 4-12-year-olds have a set in their bedrooms, and only 30% of parents sit down frequently with their children to watch TV together. Investigation also shows that children who watch TV from very young are more likely to have short concentration spans.            

Madrid, June 22nth, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The turnover generated by prostitution in Spain is estimated at 18,000 million euros annually.

70% of prostitutes are immigrants, a figure rising to 90% among those who work on the streets. Most are women, while male prostitutes only make up 12% of the total. Experts believe the ‘business’ is growing and involves, more often than not, young immigrant women short of money and support.