Politics
Monday November 15, 2004
Spain's Socialist-Led Descent into Darkness
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
MADRID, November 15, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The traditionally Catholic country of Spain is traveling a well-worn path towards liberal values, including same-sex "marriage," legalization of fetal embryonic research, and an easing of abortion laws -- legal measures implemented by the country's new Socialist government under Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Northern city of Avila Bishop Jesus Garcia Burrillo described the recent government-imposed changes as "a violent cultural earthquake," in his recent pastoral letter, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It is not easy to find in history, in such a short space of time, so many changes affecting morality [except] in time of coups d'etat," he said.
The Catholic Church has historically held a great degree of sway over public policy: one year of separation is mandatory before divorces are granted, for example, and abortion is still only legal if the mother's health is at risk, even though the definition of "health" is so widely interpreted as to be meaningless.
Zapatero, besides making access to abortion easier, legalizing embryonic stem cell research and same-sex "marriage," wants to eliminate mandatory religion classes in schools as well.
Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco, archbishop of Madrid, said the new policies hearken back to a time when the country was subjugated by Muslim Moors. "Some people wish to place us in the year 711," he said in July. "It seems as if we are meant to wipe ourselves out of history."
While the Socialists eliminate religion classes teaching Catholic and Christian values in public schools, they plan to introduce Islamic religion classes in public schools in 2005. The National Catholic Confederation of Parents of Families and Students have condemned the measure, saying religious tolerance is exercised for Muslims, "but hindered in the case of Catholics." Islamic religion classes are proposed for several major cities including Barcelona and Madrid.
Read the related LifeSiteNews.com reports:
Spanish Socialists Put Embryo Research Law into Effect
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110201.html
Spain set to bring in Homosexual "Marriage" October 1
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/sep/04092004.html
tv
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- Cardinal Rigali: You Can't Claim to be "Reducing Abortions" but Publicly Funding them in D.C.
- General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase out Lab Rats
- Ohio Supreme Court Allows Planned Parenthood to Conceal Abortion Records in Sexual Abuse Case
- LifeSiteNews Canada Day and Independence Day Message. Taking a few days off. LSN returns Monday July 6
- Heroically Pro-Life Brazilian Archbishop's Resignation Accepted Under Cloud of Vatican Newspaper Misrepresentation
- Pro-Life Groups Announce New Colorado Personhood Initiative
- Judge Puts Kibosh on DC Gay "Marriage" Referendum
- Al Franken Win Hands Supermajority to Senate Democrats
- Group Funded by Canadian Bishops' D&P Joins with Others to Denounce the "Natural Family" and "Family Rights"
- Financially Troubled Planned Parenthood of El Paso Closes Doors
- Abortion Linked to Subsequent Pre-Term Births, New Research Again Confirms
- New Orleans Homosexual Couple Ask Fed. Court to Overturn Marriage Amendment
- Slim Hope Of New Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Promoting Pro-Life, Pro-Family Issues
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop Caught Involved in Homosexual Encounters
- Young Children Removed from UK Schools for "Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour"
- Northern Ireland Politician Cleared of Wrongdoing after Reiterating Christian Teaching on Homosexual Acts
- UK Conservative Leader Speaks at Gay Pride Fundraiser
- More Letters to the Editor on Canadian Catholic Development and Peace Scandal (July 1)
- Letters to the Editor - Readers Respond to Development and Peace Scandal
- Watch This Dramatic New Video on Catholic Bishops Conference Funding of Pro-Abortion Groups
Most Read this Week
- Homosexual Duke U. Director Charged with Offering Adopted 5-Year-Old for Sex
- Famed Fr. Corapi Calls Canadian Bishops' Dissent from Humanae Vitae "Catastrophic"
- Pope: It is a Childish Faith to Oppose the Church Teaching on Life and Family
- LifeSiteNews Detailed Response to Canadian Bishops' Whitewash Report on Development and Peace
- Heroically Pro-Life Brazilian Archbishop's Resignation Accepted Under Cloud of Vatican Newspaper Misrepresentation
- Young Children Removed from UK Schools for "Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour"
- Is Pro-Choice the New Pro-Life?
- General Electric to Use Embryonic Stem Cells for Testing, Phase Out Lab Rats
- Swedish Parents Won't Tell if Child is Boy or Girl as Gender Experiment
- Cardinal Rigali: You Can't Claim to be "Reducing Abortions" but Publicly Funding them in D.C.
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.