“The phenomenon of immigration is unstoppable and cannot be put on hold”. That’s why an “involvement of the European Union, the United Nations and the international organizations for peace, justice and liberty” is needed. On the other hand, the draft organic law on education that the Spanish government presented to Parliament is “unacceptable”. These are the two issues on which the bishops of the South of Spain pronounced during their meeting in Córdoba on 20 October. Commenting on the “dramatic events that took place in [the Spanish enclaves of] Ceuta and Melilla”, the bishops re-affirm “the dignity of each human person and his/her inherent rights, irrespective of condition and country of origin”. They point out that the phenomenon of migration “is a vital question for everyone, also for the richest peoples”. “We are all called say the bishops of southern Spain to understand this new reality of our time, and to open ourselves to receive and live together, respectfully and peacefully, with the brethren who are incorporated into our societies”. With regard to the bill on education, they refer to what has already been declared by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference on 28 September, especially denouncing the curbs introduced by the new legislation “on the right of parents to choose the education of their own children”. The bishops also call “unacceptable” the proposal on the teaching of religion in schools and the “legal status planned for teachers of religion, denying them their present status as ‘employees’ of the administration”.
