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New
FEREDE statement emphasises heterosexual marriage
Madrid, April 4th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
As Parliament discusses
proposals to change the legal definition of marriage to include
homosexual couples, the Federation of Spanish Evangelical Organisations
(FEREDE) has made another statement, after pressure was exerted
at its recent AGM.
At the Annual General Meeting, participants voted overwhelmingly
in favour of a stronger statement which reflected the biblical
stance of evangelical churches in Spain as regards homosexuality
and marriage. Previously, the FEREDE had offered what many considered
a diluted declaration that merely asked for heterosexuals to
be given preference in adoption lists. The new statement reads:
“the evangelical churches in the FEREDE wish to express their
grave concern at the way in which it is proposed to recognise
the rights of homosexual couples, changing the historical essence
of marriage to allow it be composed of two people of the same
sex, instead of one man and one woman.”
In fact, as the statement points out, the issue covers two very
different things. One is the full recognition of rights to homosexuals,
to which the FEREDE offers absolutely no objection; the other
is the modification of the concept of marriage, which the FEREDE
considers unjustified. This is why it had earlier written to
the authorities asking for the rights afforded homosexual couples
to be called something different from marriage, and that in
the adoption process, heterosexual couples should have legal
priority over same-sex couples and individuals so that, where
possible, an adopted child has the chance to have a father and
a mother.
It was this last point which disappointed many evangelicals,
who felt that the request was far too weak, especially given
the fact that there aren’t any children in Spain to be adopted
anyway. Couples who do want to adopt have to look abroad. The
FEREDE argues that the term ‘marriage’ be kept exclusively for
man-woman relationships, and says that as this is the view of
a religious confession which has legal ties of cooperation with
the state, and celebrates ‘civil weddings in a religious format’,
such a change in the law could have constitutional implications.
The FEREDE is calling for a wider public debate on the issue
before any changes are made to the law, in which the various
religious groups are asked for an opinion. The new statement
concludes saying: “We are persuaded that it is vital to seek
a broad consensus before modifying the institution of marriage,
which is as old as our society and a basic part of it.” Whether
or not this will satisfy the evangelical constituency remains
to be seen.
Source: FEREDE. Editing: ACPress.net
Evangelical fund-raising event for Asian tidal wave victims
Madrid, April 4th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The Christian Association
of Police Officers and other security forces organised a special
event near Madrid last Saturday to raise funds for the victims
of the Asian tidal wave.
The rock group Revolver performed, there was drama, and other
events at the act held in Alcalá de Henares. Keltoi Patris offered
Celtic music, and Shur a taste of Irish pop. A Latin flavour
was provided by Alex, while the ‘Arte Noble’ theatre group put
on a short play. Video clips taken in affected areas were shown,
and Pedro Tarquis, the Director of ACPress.net, spoke about
the tragedy which continues to cause great hardship for thousands
in Asia.
Francisca Capa, who chairs an evangelical emergency relief committee
(PESE), explained where the money raised would go, and gave
an update regarding relief efforts. The catastrophe was on a
scale that is unprecedented in recent times. The event was an
opportunity to offer practical help to some of those in need.
Source: Diaconía/ACP. Editing: ACPress.net
Evangelical gypsies fighting drugs in Melilla
Melilla, April 4th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The same weapons are
used to praise God and fight drugs: a guitar, a box, a keyboard
and some formidable gypsy voices. The Melilla festival against
drugs celebrates its 11th edition.
Pastors from the Spanish mainland came to this North African
enclave reminded those who gathered of the basic concepts of
the Christian faith which, through the Philadelphia Church movement,
has touched thousands of gypsies within their culture and is
the church which best represents them. The Evangelical Philadelphia
Church is based on the Protestant Reformation as are all Evangelical
Churches, but is closely tied to the cultural setting of the
Spanish gypsy community.
The local newspaper in Melilla, ‘Diario Melilla’, described
it this way: “No priestly organisation, no christenings, no
worshipping images. The Bible is the best support for a faith
which places much importance on inner inspiration, the ‘breathing’
of the Holy Spirit. The message is as simple as it is transcendent:
brotherly love, solidarity, helping one’s neighbour and bringing
up one’s children in the best Christian (not Catholic) values.
Although of course they respect all beliefs.
Melilla’s gypsies are proud of their evangelical faith with
which they offer the best of their culture in thanks to God.
A good way to get relief from the daily grind.”
Source: D. Melilla. Editing:
ACPress.net
First Galician Evangelical Congress planned
La Coruña, April 6th, 2005
(ACPress.net).
The Evangelical Council
of Galicia has announced plans to hold a first regional Congress
on November 11th, 2006, under the motto, ‘One people, one faith
and one land’.
The Council has also announced a series of meetings about immigration,
a subject considered of prime importance for Evangelical Churches.
It is estimated that in the next few years, around 12 million
immigrants – foreigners and returning Spaniards – will move
to Spain, of which perhaps 20% are believers or relatives of
believers (mostly from Latin America). Marta Piñeiro, who heads
up the social action work for the Council, said there was a
high number of immigrants in Marin Evangelical Church, from
Colombia, Peru, Nigeria, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
Eva Sierra, a local historian, has completed a history of Protestantism
in Galicia which should be published soon, and REMAR radio station
reaches much of the region with Christian content.
Source: C.E.G. Editing: ACPress.net
ACPress.net and audio site having increasing impact
Madrid, April 6th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
One might be accused
of blowing one’s own trumpet but the eMision.net website – Christian
content in audio and video formats – reached the 20,000 visit
mark in March, and was close to a download figure of 30 Gigas
in the month. This compares with 1,500 visits and 4 Gigas in
its debut month (September 2004), and 8 Gigas in January and
February this year.
The website content is renewed each week with interviews, discussions,
music, short messages and talks about current or specific issues.
The increase in use of the service shows the growing impact
of RedIMIR – a media project including A.C.Press run by the
Spanish Evangelical Alliance – on Christian and non-Christian
society alike. The Internet magazine, ‘protestanteDigital’,
the news agency A.C.Press, and the eMision site with audio and
video content, are the main reference point for people wanting
to keep in touch with Spanish evangelicalism today and its relationship
to the wider world.
The magazine passed the 40,000 visit mark recently, with 140,000
internal page visits. Meanwhile, here at A.C.Press, subscriptions
to the various weekly bulletins have reached the figure of 10,400.
They go out in Spanish, Catalan and English, and are re-distributed
by an unknown total of other agencies.
Source: eMision. Editing:
ACPress.net
Large city mosque planned for Almería
Almería, April 7th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The Moroccan Consulate
has begun preliminary investigation into the construction of
a large mosque in the southern Spanish city of Almería.
The exact location has yet to be determined, and the Spanish
and Moroccan governments will work together on the project.
Imams from other mosques in the city and the province are being
consulted with the aim of unifying religious criteria behind
the Malikite tendency of Islam, and also to provide a cultural
centre. The Consulate is also trying to ensure there are no
intermediaries who might swindle Moroccans living in Almería,
as Mafia-type gangs are known to operate in the area.
Source: Canal Sur. Editing:
ACPress.net
Yet more money to Rome
Madrid, April 7th, 2005.
In the latest figures
from the Treasury, the Catholic Church received 106 million
euros through the charity tax-break which is allowed by the
Spanish government, a 10% increase on the previous year.
However, the proportion of people who opted to give all their
charitable tax allowance to the Catholic Church, hardly moved
at 22.47%. Indeed, since 1999, this proportion has fallen by
7%. Yet the total amount of money received by the Catholic Church
from the government continues to rise: 88,564 million euros
in 1999, 97,737 million euros in 2000, and 105,991 million euros
in 2002. This amounts to a 16.5% rise in 4 years.
The only alternative box on the tax-return form is ‘Other charities’,
many of which are Catholic anyway. Over the same period, there
has been a small rise in the proportion of people who only tick
this box, to 32.6%. Meanwhile, 11.9% of those who completed
tax forms ticked both boxes – the Catholic Church, and Other
charities. Those who ticked neither fell by 2% to 33% of the
total.
Source: E.PRESS. Editing:
ACPress.net
The ‘other’ Pope died first
Seville, April 7th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
Amidst all the ridiculous
shenanigans surrounding the death of a certain Roman Catholic
leader in Vatican City the other day, it may well have escaped
your notice that Clemente Domínguez Gómez, the self-proclaimed
‘Pope Gregory XVII of the Order of Carmelites of the Holy Face’,
also passed away recently.
Gregory died in the Spanish town of Utrera, near Seville, where
the Cathedral and centre of this religious group is located.
Dominguez, who, let’s face it, has just as much right as John
Paul II (or anyone else, come to that) to proclaim himself Pope,
was a 59-year-old from Seville. He was ordained Bishop on January
11th, 1976 at a rite outside the mainstream Catholic Church,
by a Vietnamese Archbishop, Pedro Martin Ngo-Din Thuc, the same
man who had ordained him into the priesthood four years earlier.
Domínguez claimed to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary at
a place called Palmar de Troya, a district in the town of Utrera,
in September 1969. However, the Catholic authorities rejected
his claims and refused to sanction the supposed supernatural
phenomenon. If they had taken the same line with some Portuguese
schoolchildren about 100 years ago, just think from how much
Fatima paraphernalia we would have been saved.
However, Domínguez was not to be put off. In August 1978 he
said he had received a message from the Virgin, in which she
told him to become Pope and so that very day he proclaimed himself
the Pontiff, with the title ‘Gregory XVII.’ Without delay, he
began publishing a series of ‘papal documents’ in which he raised
to sainthood such eminent personalities as General Franco, José
Antonio Primo de Rivera (founder of the Spanish Fascist Party),
Don Pelayo (an independence fighter who won a famous victory
over the Moors in 722 AD), and Christopher Columbus.
The new Pope also excommunicated a series of people, including
the Spanish royal family. He also constructed the Palmar Basilica,
eight towers of which are over 40 metres high and continues
to be used. Despite all the Protestants beating a path to the
Vatican’s door in recent days, the truth is that for evangelicals
the death of Gregory XVII is no more, nor less, relevant than
the other Pope’s death.
Source: EFE. Editing: ACPress.net
Sexual slavery unabated in Spain, and worldwide
Madrid, April 7th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
According to Lorena Pajares,
Coordinator of the charity ‘AFESIP Spain’, every year between
300,000 and 500,000 women enter Spain to engage in prostitution.
Pajares complains that although there are laws against sexual
exploitation and trafficking, it is feared that some of these
women end up in the international sex traffic, and that political
will is required as well to end sexual slavery and the mafias
which control the prostitutes. She said that 4 million women
were enslaved annually in this way, worldwide. Sex tourism is
also growing rapidly in South-East Asia and Central America.
She added that more needed to be done to make people aware of
the problem, as she alleged that some men “think they are helping
these women because they pay them lots of money.” The sex tourists
also thought what they did was alright because they treated
the women better than did the men of the women’s own country.
The United Nations says human trafficking is the third most
lucrative trade involving organised crime with an annual profit
of around 8,000 million euros a year. Women and children are
considered a consumer product who can be sold repeatedly in
different countries. AFESIP believes to legalise prostitution
would be to legalise violence, and says that last December it
rescued 83 of the 91 women and children being used as prostitutes
in the Chai Hour II Hotel.
Source: EFE. Editing: ACPress.net
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