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Church involvement in ecumenical conference
Madrid, May 17th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The annual ‘Ecumenical
Conference’ at El Espinar, outside Madrid, will hold its 15th
edition in July this year under the motto, ‘What does ecumenism
demand of churches in the 21st century?’ Progressive groups
within the Catholic Church are calling for Christians to unite
against the rising tide of secularisation.
María José Delgado, of the Ecumenical Centre ‘Nuns for Unity’
in Madrid, says she hopes the statement produced at the end
of the Conference will show that “ecumenism has new challenges
for churches in the 21st century.” One of them, she believes,
is to offer a common front to secularisation, as has happened
in Spain to confront homosexual ‘marriage’. She considers the
joint statement on this issue made by Catholic, Evangelical,
Orthodox and Jewish communities was “exemplary”, saying that
it should not only be the Catholic Church which responds when
other religious confessions support its stance.
“This is an important challenge for believers, especially Christians,
because it does not make sense for each church to go its own
way when the world has united against us and them.” Delgado
believes society demands ecumenism, and that closing one’s eyes
to it “is almost a sin”. In this sense she applauds the new
Pope’s comments in favour of unity and suggests that because
of his roots, “he must have as many Lutheran friends as Catholics.”
For the first time, as well as representatives from the broader
Protestant denominations (Lutheran and Anglican), some Free
Church members will attend the Conference. Although not as official
delegates, some Baptist and Pentecostal pastors will attend.
The total number of participants is expected to be around the
100 mark, representing seven different churches or Christian
communities. A Methodist minister will present a Protestant
viewpoint on the challenges facing current ecumenism.
Source: VERITAS. Editing: ACPress.net
Day of Prayer for children at risk
Madrid, May 18th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The ‘Viva Network’, a
group of charities of Christian inspiration, with the support
of the Bible Society, are once again celebrating a ‘World Day
of Prayer for Children at Risk’, this year on Saturday, June
4th.
They want God to intervene regarding this problem, but also
want to wake Christians up to the terrible reality of millions
of suffering children. Over the last 10 years, the Day of Prayer
has united hundreds of thousands of Christians in praying for
children. There have been changes, but projections for the coming
10 years are not encouraging. According to UNICEF, experts predict
that by 2015, 40 million children will have lost their parents
to Aids. Added to that, 27,000 children die each day from curable
diseases such as diarrhoea, measles and malnutrition, and the
organisation calls children the ‘Great Omission’ from the Church’s
mission strategy. While 85% of believers become Christians while
still children, only 10% of the Church’s resources is directed
at them.
Children in the Third World face the threat of separation from
their parents, injury or being coerced into local militia, through
the almost constant civil wars in many countries. Corrupt government
and the debts they have incurred mean little is invested in
health or education, and again children suffer the consequences.
However, the Church in Africa is growing, and when Christian
policies are adapted - witness the sexual faithfulness and abstinence
campaign in Uganda - and allied to prayer, the results are there
for all to see.
Aids in other nations with less Christian influence is not dropping,
though, and a worldwide estimated total of 2.2 million children
have the disease themselves. Others are left as orphans, having
to care for younger siblings, and many become the victims of
abuse, abandonment or poor health. Many parents lie in bed each
night fearing the arrival of gangs who will burn their villages,
and take off their children to fight in local armies. Many children
pour into the cities at night to sleep in ‘safe houses’, before
returning to their villages the next day.
More than 300,000 children are fighting in armed conflicts in
more than 30 countries. Those as young as five can have a weapon
placed in their hands and be taught how to kill. Who knows if
they can recover from this experience and become children again?
The Day of Prayer seeks to bring this kind of situation to the
attention of more and more Christians.
Source: Unión Bíblica. Editing:
ACPress.net
Report suggests ending state finance
for Catholic Church
Madrid, May 18th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
A report by the ‘Alternatives
Trust’ suggests that the current system whereby the government
props up the Catholic Church financially be dropped, and a system
similar to that in operation in France or the USA be adopted.
The author of the report, Alejandro Torres from Navarre
University, says the new model
should be phased in over the next 8 years, based on donations
which receive generous tax deductions. Torres believes Spanish
taxpayers should no longer have to bear the burden for the cost
of worship activities, a principle which contradicts the constitutional
religious neutrality of the State. His system would eliminate
direct financing, but allow Catholics themselves to pay for
their Church, rewarding them with generous tax allowances on
their donations.
This year, the Catholic Church will receive the massive sum
of 141 million euros from the Spanish government, while 3 million
euros will be shared out between Jews, Muslims and Protestants.
Source: COLPISA. Editing:
ACPress.net
New ruling on prison services means changes
Madrid, May 18th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
Prisons with 10 or more
Protestant inmates who want to be visited by an evangelical
pastor may request a room in which to hold meetings, in a new
ruling about to be passed by the government.
However, at the same time prison authorities are being asked
to tighten up on their checks of those who make religious prison
visits. More information is to be required, and the accredited
ministers or lay believers who visit must be able to prove they
have no criminal record themselves. The ruling, which applies
to the three recognised religious minorities, is really being
brought in for Muslim prisoners, of whom there is an increasing
number. Yet it has special relevance for evangelicals, as more
and more prisoners are being converted while in prison.
The ruling covers the conditions for religious visiting and
the requirements for accredited visitors. Ministers are allowed
to conduct worship services, teach, counsel and carry out funerals.
The minister must be authorised by the prison authorities, proving
that he is accredited to make such visits, must have no criminal
record and, if he is a foreigner, evidence of his legal residence
in Spain. Authorisation is to be renewed each year, and can
be revoked at any time if the minister (or other religious visitor)
carries out activities outside his permitted brief.
The prison will cover any costs incurred and will agree this
with representatives of each religious confession. Ministers
must be up to date with their payments into the National Insurance
system, and the report speaks in serious tones about the visitors
being the ‘right kind of people’ for carrying out such an activity.
Stricter controls will be enforced, and the visitor’s ‘performance’
monitored. Foreigners will be subject to special checks to
ensure that they do not pose a threat to prison security.
Source: Europa Press. Editing:
ACPress.net
Palau Festival finally gets location in Madrid
Madrid, May 18th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
Almost 3,000 people attended
a ‘pre-Festival celebration’ at Betel
Church in Madrid, as part of
the preparations for next month’s Luis Palau Festival in Madrid.
After much toing and froing between the Council and Festival
organisers, the event has a location: Ventas bullring.
The Festival is planned for June 24th-25th, with a 5-hour concert
each day plus a Palau talk in the middle. The warm-up event
offered an impressive line-up of popular Christian music, promotional
stands and even a children’s pre-Festival activity. Rubén Proietti,
Festivals Director of the Luis Palau Organisation, challenged
those present to use the occasion for evangelism.
José Pablo Sánchez, representing the Spanish organising committee,
made a strong call for an end to what he called “religious discrimination
by Madrid Council against evangelicals in relation to the FestiMadrid
(the name of the Palau event in the Spanish capital).” He claimed
that after four months of negotiations, they had only received
negative replies from the Council when they tried to get permission
to hold the event at various locations around Madrid, though
other sources have indicated that one or two locations were
offered, but rejected by Festival organisers.
The run-up to the Festival has been shrouded in controversy,
including a demonstration in front of City Hall complaining
at alleged discrimination. Organisers said about 600 people
were present, and one of the Mayor’s officials, Ana Román, came
out and received a written complaint. She said neither she nor
the Mayor, who was not present, knew anything about FestiMadrid’s
request. However, she promised a reply within 2 hours and was
as good as her word, offering the Ventas bullring, which was
one of the locations that organisers had suggested.
Source: FestiMadrid. Editing:
ACPress.netMadrid
University bans religious and
political societies
Madrid, May 18th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
Madrid
University
has just passed a resolution banning any official recognition
for political or religious groups as ‘University Associations’.
Using the excuse of limiting this recognition to ‘traditional
university associations’, the rights of groups with religious
or political affiliation are seriously curtailed.
As it happens, the most active groups in the University are
precisely those linked to political institutions or religious
groups, such as GBU (the Spanish Christian Union movement).
These groups have caused a headache for the University authorities
when, for instance, pro-cannabis groups hold what they call
their ‘San Kanuto Party’, parading behind a huge joint and smoking
pot to their hearts’ content (though not their brains’). Catholic
groups have complained that the University turns a blind eye
to such blatantly illegal and inappropriate behaviour.
The new ruling allows Associations whose objectives can be
defined as including one or more of the following: education,
the promotion of culture, the defence of university values,
scientific, artistic or sporting development, and professional
or social interest. All recognised Associations must also be
“independent of any political group or party and religious confession,
and which respect current legislation.”
Source & Editing: ACPress.net
People still think woman should give up work when she
has a baby
Madrid, May 19th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
45% of people of working
age believe women should give up work when they have a child,
and a third think they should work fewer hours than men so as
to be able to attend to family duties, according to a new report.
Such traditional views infuriate feminists, of course, but provide
the basis for the stable, family-based society which has characterised
Spain for so long, and which the present government seems equally
determined to dismantle. The liberal Left cannot understand
that such attitudes persist, while others see them as the natural
definition of family roles, whether or not the woman has made
inroads into the labour market.
41% of Personnel managers say the application of conciliatory
measures limit competitiveness, and three out of five believe
such issues should be resolved privately. Almost half the population
think it is difficult, or very difficult, for a woman to balance
domestic and professional life. In fact, more women think this
is so than men, probably because they are the ones actually
facing the dilemma. 65% of the population say they would be
prepared to pay more taxes if it meant getting help with the
domestic chores.
Some hope that Spain will come into line with other European
countries which have adapted working timetables to make them
more compatible with raising a family. What is clear is that
amidst so much social upheaval, people’s underlying convictions
about family life and the role of the mother, have changed very
little.
Source: ABC. Editing: ACPress.net
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