Madrid, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
ACPress.net's audio section at emision.net continues to draw greater audiences, registering a download total of 5.52 Gigas in October, with the ethics and reflection sections proving the most popular.

The most popular item was a talk by Pablo Martínez, Chairman of the Evangelical Alliance, on pain and suffering, taking Habakkuk as his text. Monroy's personal column, a comment on euthanasia, and another on 'Sex and God' were also downloaded by many people. Other songs and interviews were also downloaded.

ACPress.net also broadcasts a weekly news comment in English, called 'Spain Today', and this registered 300 downloads in October. It is hoped this will interest in Anglo-Saxon countries and for others who speak English.

Barcelona, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
A project called 'Imagine', written by the Director of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC), Mark Greene, and which has had considerable impact in English churches, has now been translated and adapted by the Spanish Evangelical Alliance for use here.

'Imagine' includes a questionnaire, a series of meetings and debates between different denominations and associations. It is based on the principle of self-criticism, in both the Church and society, plus the search for solutions to problems found. It is not just for church leaders but encourages all church members to take part. The Chairman of the Evangelical Alliance, Pablo Martínez, says the aim in publishing this material is that it proves as useful in Spain as it has in England, and that ­ above all ­ it leads to making evangelical churches in Spain attractive, open communities which make known a living Christ able to transform lives.

The concern of the Evangelical Alliance is that the Spanish Evangelical Church remains a tiny and socially irrelevant minority, even after 30 years of religious liberty. Is there a strategy which could help remedy this? What can each one of us do to help achieve such a goal? 'Imagine' follows LICC's line that Christians should be making an impact in their workplaces, neighbourhoods and homes, and not just in church. The publication attacks the sacred-secular divide which exists in so many Christians, and which turns their Christianity into not much more than a hobby or Sunday pursuit.

The book challenges us to free ourselves from 'spare-time Christianity' and think in a Christian way about every aspect of our lives. A faith limited to a Sunday morning service will do little or nothing to revolutionise the world outside. It has to be applied to our day-to-day activities. 'Imagine' offers radical, but not extreme, solutions, arguing that the most important task of the Church today is to equip its members to apply their faith to the world around them. A questionnaire to get the ball rolling may be found at www.AEEsp.net

Córdoba, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The 'Merced Palace' in Córdoba is one of the settings chosen for the filming of a historical documentary about the Inquisition, called 'The secret archives of the Inquisition', a joint Hispanic-Canadian project due to be screened next year.

The film, which will include drama footage, is being directed by David Rabinovitch and will use actors for some scenes. The documentary hopes to shed light on some of the obscurer aspects of the work of the Inquisition, and got the idea to come to Córdoba when its archive was opened for the first time, just last year. In most circles, the subject has remained taboo in Spain well into the democratic period. The film's budget is in excess of 2 million euros, will take about 8 weeks to shoot and produce, and will visit such locations as Madrid, Ciudad Real, Segovia, Cuenca and Talamanca del Jarama.

Madrid, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Catholic Cardinal of Madrid, Antonio Rouco, recently spent a week at the Vatican on what was called, rather inappropriately it seems, a "secret trip". There were two reasons for the journey: calm fears in Rome as to his health, and report on the increasing confrontation with the Spanish Socialist government.

Rouco remains very much the Vatican`s 'man in Madrid' and they approve the ecclesiastical strategy of mobilising the troops and getting them out into the streets to protest at government legislation. Rouco was operated on for a liver complaint last month, and he took his medical reports for Rome's perusal. Then he told his hosts all about the troubles with the government led by José Luis Zapatero. Aside from the ethical differences, perhaps what most worries the Vatican is the underlying threat to alter the special Accords signed by Madrid and Rome in 1979.

The Catholic Church in Spain is no nearer self-financing than it was when the idea was first mooted and any threat to the millions of euros received each year from the state would send a shiver up the spine of more than one Cardinal. Support from the top came swiftly: the Pope's Foreign Affairs Minister (sic), Monsignor Lajolo, attacked the Spanish government's policies publicly, adding that "Spanish Catholics will not let themselves be intimidated by Press campaigns nor opinion polls." Spanish evangelical leaders take note.

Catholic lay organisations are getting ready for the marching season. This weekend should see around 3,000 take to the streets in Madrid and, if the government fails to sit down with Catholic representatives, several diocese in major cities around Spain have plans to turn out. If these measures do not achieve their goal, then a huge demonstration is planned for the Spanish capital in mid-December.

Madrid, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The latest book by Juan Simarro, Director of Madrid City Mission, was launched officially recently at General Lacy Baptist Church in the Spanish capital. At a simple ceremony, the need to offer a greater commitment to the needy and to fighting social injustice, two favourite themes of Simarro's, were stressed. The book is entitled: 'The Gospel of the poor'.

Almost 200 people were there to hear various speeches from figures such as Mariano Blázquez, Executive Secretary of the Federation of Spanish Evangelical Organisations, Pedro Tarquis, Director of ACPress.net, and Henar Corbi, a member of the Movement for Peace, Disarmament and Freedom. From her 'outsider' perspective, she stressed the importance of the Protestant contribution in the area of social action and in its publications, "which contain valid principles for the whole of society."

Esther Garralón brightened the proceedings up with an operatic solo, Manuel López recalled Simarro's roots in the Mancha region of Spain (Quijote country), Juan Simarro himself thanked everyone for coming ­ which included some Catholic representatives ­ and highlighted how materialism can make us forget the needy, and Garralón finished off with a sung rendition of the Lord's Prayer.

Barcelona, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The evangelical reply to Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' has just been published in Spanish. It exposes the flimsy historical foundations of the novel, and proves it is no more than a fable of the author's imagination.

The book, written by Ben Witherington III and entitled 'A definitive reply to the Da Vinci Code', is published in Spain by Andamio. The book deals with seven major errors in Brown's novel and information may be found at andamio@andamio-gbu.net.

Castellón, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
One of the stranger religious events of recent years in Spain took place the other day; Castellón cemetery received an ecumenical 'blessing', as representatives of each of the religions practised in the eastern city participated in a ceremony to open the new facilities. Some evangelicals buried there might have turned in their graves, but it was not enough to awaken the dead.

Par for the course in these postmodern times in which we live, yet bizarre by any normal standards of humanity, each religious group (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Muslim) will now hold its own 'blessing' ceremony at some point over the coming year. If only the living got as much attention as the dead of Castellón!

The 'blessing' ceremony took place on All Saints' Day ­ a Catholic festival, of course ­ showing that some will always remain more equal than others. Indeed, the day began with a religious act followed by an offering of flowers to the cemetery cross, before the doors were flung open to the general public.

Madrid, November 11th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The fact that Spaniards spend more on food than anyone else will come as no surprise to those who have lived here for any length of time.

Specifically, the average Spanish family spends 1,282 euros a year on food, which amounts to 17.8% of their budget. Spain is followed by Portugal (17.5%), Greece (14.9%), Italy (13.7%) and France (13.5%). Yet this is peanuts compared to the good old days under Franco (!). In 1958, Spaniards spent a whopping 53% of their budget on food, dropping to 30% by 1985, and just under 18% today. Of course, most of this reduction is due to people having more disposable income. Murcia and Galicia are the two areas of Spain which spend most, 22% and 20% of their budgets respectively.