Spain: crucifix, sign of “cultural identity”The recent vote of the Committee of Education of the Chamber of Deputies – lower house of Parliament – in Madrid, urging the government to withdraw religious symbols from all schoolrooms throughout the country, continues to arouse debate and discussion in Spain. The vote was taken in conformity with the recent sentence of the European Court of Human Rights. The Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Lluíz Martínez Sistach, has expressed a negative view on the proposed removal of the cross from public schools and recalled that the crucifix is not only a Christian symbol, but also a symbol of the European cultural identity. So, to remove it “would impoverish our society, which, in contrast to the State, is not secular, but religious by a large majority”. “The presence of the cross in schoolrooms is a sign of brotherhood, love and acceptance. We are a country with a history and a culture stretching over more than a thousand years in which the cross has always been one of its main symbols”, said the cardinal. Moreover, according to the archbishop of Barcelona, in response to the challenge of globalization and the influx of a multitude of immigrants of other cultures, we need to recognize and foster our own identity if we are to have a “genuine and enriching” dialogue with those arriving in our country from abroad. “If we lose our identity – warned the cardinal – only two reactions are possible, both of which we must avoid: either, the rejection of everything that is different (xenophobia), or the acceptance of everything that is different, thus losing our own roots and our own identity”. The vote of the Committee of Education of the Chamber of Deputies has also been regretted by the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, President of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference. “The withdrawal of crucifixes – declared the cardinal – would deprive Spanish families and children in public schools of being able to see the fundamental and characteristic symbol of their faith; a faith that has shaped their personal history, that of their family and that of their people”. The motion approved on the initiative of the minor party of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), with the support of the Socialist Party of Premier José Louis Rodriguez Zapatero, is not binding and does not oblige the government to implement it. The Archbishop of Toledo, Braulio Rodríguez Plaza, has also intervened on the issue, defending the presence of crucifixes in public life and emphasizing the historical significance of Christianity. “Jesus – he said – has meant a great deal for humanity. It does not matter whether one believes, as Catholics believe, that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure who has left a profound mark on human history”.Ireland: the bishops meet the PopeIt was Benedict XVI himself who called back to the Vatican card. Seán Brady, primate of the Catholic Church of Ireland, and mgr. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, to “inform him and make him consider the painful situation of the Church in Ireland following the recent publication of the Murphy Commission Report”, a file on the abuse committed on children by priests of the archdiocese of Dublin. This detail is given by a release published by the Irish Bishops Conference at the end of the winter meeting of the Irish bishops that was exceptionally focussed on the Report of the Government Committee enquiring about the abuses committed in the archdiocese of Dublin that was published on November 26th. “We, as bishops – reads a statement that was published yesterday -, apologise to all those people who have been abused by priests as children, to their families and to all the people who rightly feel angry and disappointed by the lack of moral authority and responsibility that is shown by the Report”. At the meeting, the bishops discussed the measures to be taken in future based on an action that will be built on “charity, truth, integrity and transparency”. “As a first response to the report – the bishops write -, today we decided that we will ask the National Council for the protection of children in the Catholic Church to explore, along with the government organisations and authorities concerned, in the North and South of the country, a mechanism that may ensure that the current policies of the Church and the measures taken to protect children are the best ever and that the charges of abuse are appropriately dealt with. We are deeply shocked at the proportion and depravation of such abuse, as described in the Report. We are ashamed for the way the sexual abuse of children has been covered up in the archdiocese of Dublin and we acknowledge that this is indicative of a culture that was widespread in the Church. Avoiding scandal and protecting the reputation of individuals and the Church have overridden the children’s safety and wellbeing. This should have never happened and must never have a chance to happen again. We humbly ask your forgiveness”. The bishops question themselves: “the Report raises issues that are very important for the Church in Ireland, including the operation of the Bishops Conference and the way the lay devotees can be more effectively involved in the life of the Church”. The statement ends by inviting the communities to pray “for all those who suffered”.
