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Disgust as politicians joke with crown of thorns in Jerusalem
Madrid,
May 29th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The Catholic Episcopate
in Spain has added its voice to those who have expressed their
disgust and criticism of two Catalan politicians, Pascual Maragall
and Carod Rovira, who were photographed in Jerusalem laughing
and joking while one of them placed a tourist imitation ‘crown
of thorns’ over his head.
An Episcopal statement said the politicians’ action “had caused
indignation to many believers and non-believers in Spain, and
all over the world.” Maragall and Rovira were on an official
visit to Israel and Palestine. “People with any sensitivity
towards religious liberty and the feelings of believers respect
places and religious symbols and refrain from mocking them or
hurting (the feelings of) those who honour them.” Most Catholic
bishops who heard about the action expressed their disgust,
especially in those who are meant to represent others, including
many Christians, and show respect for the rights and beliefs
of all citizens.
Evangelicals, Jews and Muslims have joined the chorus of protest
at the mockery. Mariano Blázquez, Executive Secretary of the
FEREDE, said “one should show respect towards religious convictions,
whatever they are.” However, he took the opportunity to point
out his view that Protestants in Spain had “much more serious
problems” to deal with, such as being sidelined by laws and
the treatment they received in the Press, which insists on calling
the Catholic institution, ‘the Church’.
A Jewish spokesman, Antonio José Chinchetru, rejected “any kind
of mockery against a religious confession.” Referring to the
scene involving Maragall and Rovira, he reminded people that
“Spain is a country where religious liberty and tolerance towards
other religions exists.” The General Secretary of the Islamic
Commission, Riay Tatari, said public figures should respect
all religious confessions, adding that “without respect there
cannot be peace on earth.”
Source: Libertad Digital,
Agencias. Editing: ACPress.net
Secularisation slows and religious belief turns a corner
Madrid, May 29th, 2005 (ACPress.net).
Almost four decades after
the fastest process of secularisation ever seen in the West
began, religious belief seems to have stabilised in Spain. There
are even one or two small signs of a recovery.
Recent research by two lecturers, Alfonso Pérez-Agote and José
A. Santiago García, suggests that secularisation has gone as
far as it is likely to go. Anti-clericalism was stronger in
the 1930s because religion was so important in people’s lives,
but today as it is less important, so there is less opposition
to the emissaries of the church. The fall in religious practice
and belief has been halted, and there are even signs of a small
increase among the 18-24 age bracket.
Eight out of ten Spaniards call themselves Catholics, but only
two out of every three youngsters. 73% believe in God and a
further 12% have doubts, but a large proportion of them seldom
darken the doors of a church. The researchers believe religious
belief has increased due to the arrival of Evangelical and Muslim
immigrants. Some sources now talk of between 500,000 and one
million evangelicals in Spain. On the other hand, the rejection
of the Catholic Church by Basque nationalists means little religious
following there among the young.
43% believe in the existence of sin, 41% in heaven, 33% in miracles,
34% in angels and 38% in the Holy Spirit. Only 23% believe the
devil exists, which no doubt pleases him greatly. Four out of
ten Spaniards are pretty sure there is something after death.
Yet in a nation of such falling religiosity, devotion to saints
and virgins is very high: 37%, which includes more than 50%
of the over-55s. As many or even more people attend processions
than go to Mass weekly. Popular religiosity rather than religious
practice, as the researchers point out.
6% consider christening their children a waste of time, while
half the population see it as a ‘duty’ or ‘something worth doing’.
For the rest, it’s a habit but almost everyone does so; 94.5%
of parents have christened their children, while 91% would like
them to take their first Communion (practised around the age
of eight, in the Catholic tradition). However, at the other
end of life, the importance of traditional ritual is decreasing;
almost as many choose to be cremated as go for a traditional
burial. Those over the age of 45 prefer burial, while younger
ones say they prefer cremation.
Source: AGENCIAS. Editing:
ACPress.net
FEREDE distances itself from criticism of government
Madrid,
May 29th, 2005.
The Chairman of the Federation
of Spanish Evangelicals, José María Baena, has accused the Catholic
Church of using a joint document against homosexual marriage
- signed by Catholics, Jews, Orthodox and Evangelicals - politically.
In this, he is supported by Jewish and Orthodox spokesmen.
FEREDE’s Chairman, José María Baena, said they were not inviting
their member churches to join in a demonstration as has been
suggested in some Catholic circles, emphasising that this was
“utterly wrong”. He said they had supported Focus on the Family’s
petition to Parliament but this did not mean they supported
a demonstration against the new law, nor what he called “the
manipulation which is being made of it in extreme Right-wing
circles.” Baena added that they were not going to join people
who have been against Protestantism, expressing his “indignation
because (the joint statement) is being used politically and
against the Socialist government. He said that Protestants were
not against homosexual rights, but the calling of their relationships
‘marriage’.
Baena said their position was well-known by the government “with
whom we have discussed the matter, and seeing as they did not
agree with our legal formula, we opted as Christians to sign
the document.” However, he added that “we are not lending ourselves
to political manipulation nor the interests of others, when
it is precisely this government which is supporting minority
religions.”
The Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain also said that
it would not participate in nor did it support the demonstration
against the Bill to allow homosexual marriage. Meanwhile, Dimitri
Tsiamparlis, a representative of the Orthodox Church in Spain,
said that he had not even been invited to join in the demonstration.
He added that he did not support it nor understood the use that
was being made of the joint statement.
Source: EFE. Editing: ACPress.net
Government out to make Catholic Church self-sufficient
Madrid,
June 1st, 2005.
The government is studying
proposals to put into effect the agreement made in 1985 which
would make the Catholic Church financially self-sufficient through
tax breaks. It considers the present system, whereby the State
makes up a massive multi-million shortfall, provisional.
Representatives of the two institutions will sit down to thrash
the matter out, mindful that the current arrangements end in
December, and next year’s budget has to be worked out. The government
is happy for the Catholic Church to receive from the state in
an indirect fashion, but not directly as happens at present.
The government wants to reduce the amount it gives little by
little, and for Catholic citizens to take over the burden, albeit
through tax which may be claimed back by the Catholic Church.
They merely have to indicate this on their tax forms; the problem
thus far is that not enough are doing so. Whatever model is
finally decided upon, it will be within the parameters of previous
agreements between Madrid and the Vatican.
Last year alone, the Catholic Church received a whopping 138
million euros from the Spanish government - 111 million through
tax returns, and 27 million directly from the State to make
up the shortfall.
Source: EUROPA PRESS. Editing:
ACPress.net
A generation which has lost the plot
Madrid,
June 1st, 2005 (ACPress.net).
New research shows that
the most important things for young people are health and their
families, followed by friends, work and sexual equality. 90%
do not consider religion important, though 61% believe in someone
or something.
Free time and leisure also figure high on their list of priorities
and concerns, as does their social concern for such issues as
world hunger and poverty. They also claim to be concerned about
peace, the environment, animals and human rights. A majority
of those asked trust in charitable organisations, but no other
institutions, though the next most-trusted group is the media.
Young people show less enthusiasm for the trustworthiness of
the monarchy, the justice system, the Armed Forces or Parliament.
On religious ideas, they are all over the place. The vast majority
do not consider it important though want to ‘feel good’ spiritually.
Seven out of ten don’t trust the Catholic Church much or at
all, and 64% think it should adapt to the times.
Another tendency to be highlighted by the report is the growing
rejection of immigrants; almost a third of Spanish adults is
unhappy at the presence of foreigners in the country.
Source: AGENCIAS. Editing: ACPress.net
Teenagers and the elderly are the main victims of violence
Madrid,
June 1st, 2005 (ACPress.net).
40% of 11-14-year-olds
have suffered some kind of physical aggression from their schoolmates,
and Spain has the highest murder rate in the European Union.
Spaniards feel they are living in an increasingly violent environment,
and criminal statistics back this up. Attacks on people and
property have increased in recent years, with teenagers and
the elderly the main victims. The elderly find themselves more
and more sidelined by society, and often become the victims
of physical or psychological aggression. Such treatment of OAPs
shot up by an alarming 110% between 1995 and 2001, while the
most worrying aspect is that 70% of these victims actually live
with their aggressor, and are often economically dependent upon
them. The main problem with how to deal with this issue is that
such abuse is difficult to detect and in most cases remains
within the privacy of the family. Experts say most cases go
unreported out of fear or shame.
At the other end of the age-range, school bullying is a problem
which affects up to 40% of school-children. Again, few cases
are reported even though the pupils themselves usually know
who is responsible. It is estimated that around half of children
do nothing about aggression towards someone else, while many
others even applaud it. A recent report says that 34,000 girls
suffer sexual harassment in schools. Victims are extremely lonely
and live out a miserable existence, without any help, little
understanding of their situation, and little information which
could help them defend themselves.
Source & Editing: ACPress.net
Theological Atheneum aims to make Christians think
Barcelona, June
1st, 2005.
The ‘Theological Atheneum’
is a group of academic theologians which aims to serve churches
by training their members biblically and theologically.
The group’s website explains: “We believe churches of the 21st
century should be in constant dialogue with the world which
surrounds them. This dialogue should be frank, open and responsible.”
The Atheneum follows the 16th century Reformation principles
of ‘faith alone, grace alone, Scripture alone and Christ alone’.
The Atheneum has no denominational or missionary society connections
and maintains its independence through the donations of those
who share its vision for informing Christians about current
thought and how to respond to it, as well as the donations given
by its staff and students. Further information about it can
be found at www.ateneoteologico.org
Source & Editing: ACPress.net20th
anniversary of Madrid City Mission
Madrid,
June 1st, 2005 (ACPress.net).
Two public meetings are
planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Madrid City Mission.
A thanksgiving service will be held on June 10th, while the
following day, Pablo Wickham will give a talk on ‘The importance
of City Missions in Spain’.
There will be a Madrid City Mission stand at both events, giving
information about the social and evangelistic work in which
they are engaged. As a rather novel way of encouraging people
to find out about Madrid’s Protestant past, and as part of the
City Mission anniversary celebrations, the first 50 people to
apply will be given a free tour of ‘Protestant Madrid’ by Gabino
Fernández, an evangelical historian and Director of the Reformation
Study Centre in the Spanish capital.
Source: Misión Urbana. Redacción:
ACPress.net
Evangelical speaker at Popular Party meeting
Barcelona, June 1st, 2005 (ACPress.net).
The Centre-Right Popular
Party, currently forming the Opposition in the Spanish Parliament,
invited an evangelical speaker, Bernard Coster, to give a talk
on ‘The values of the West: where does our civilisation begin
and end?’ at its offices in Barcelona.
The meeting, open to all, was held on May 27th and organised
by local Popular Party members. Bernard Coster, a Dutch missionary
working with the Reformed Church in Mataró, near Barcelona,
was asked to give the talk on behalf of the Spanish Evangelical
Alliance. It was followed by a debate chaired by Rafael López,
Chairman of ‘New Generations’ in Barcelona, the Popular Party’s
equivalent of the Young Conservatives. Also among the panellists
was Rafael Luna, General Secretary of the Popular Party in Catalonia.
Source: PP. Editing: ACPress.net
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