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The Church in Spain
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Secret Meeting Revealed
MADRID — (NC) — Que Pasa?, a right-wing
Spanish newspaper, has revealed the plans of the
banned Madrid meeting of Operation Moses, a secret
group of progressive priests and laymen.
Releasing the agenda more than a week ahead
of its official publication date, Que Pasa? said the
Operation Moses group was made up of priests
“proven to be subversive" by their participation in
the May 11 demonstrations against police brutality
in Barcelona.
Ignored by Catholic papers, the conservative
journal’s story was picked up by most of the secular
newspapers, who termed the group “the leaders of
open rebellion against the bishops of Spain.”
According to the article, Operation Moses wants
a strict division between the Church and state in
Spain. Specifically they ask that:
—The Church renounce all privileges and pro
tection;
—The Church and clergymen be subject to the
same laws governing other institutions and citizens
in Spain;
—All clergymen renounce public offices they
may be holding;
—Complete freedom of religion be granted in
Spain, so that true religious unity may be fostered,
and that the current “farce of religious solidarity
may be abandoned”;
—The histories of the Church in Spain be re
vised to conform with the facts, and that members
of the Church show penitence for their sins and er
rors of judgment;
_There be a new emphasis on brotherhood,
rather than on the militarism and nationalism now
dominating Spanish thought.
Meeting Denounced
MADRID — (NC) — The press office of the
Archdiocese of Madrid has denounced the clandes
tine character of a meeting of priests and laymen
planned for the outskirts of Madrid.
Under the code name of Action Moses, they
were reportedly planning to publish a document of
protest against the hierarchy.
Informed of the group’s plans, Archbishop Cas
imiro Morcillo Gonzalez of Madrid issued a state
ment pointing out that the meeting had not been
authorized and advising anyone involved to contact
the bishop of his diocese.
Four Priests On Trial
LERIDA, Spain — (NC) — Bishop Aurelio del
Pino Gomez of Lerida will set up a new tribunal to
judge four priests accused of slandering him.
A tribunal had already been set up, but the
priests lodged an appeal on the grounds that its
composition did not inspire their confidence.
In an open letter, the four priests had pro
tested the sale of Church-owned Jand to tenant
farmers working the land. The priests claimed that
the price the Church was asking was too high and
that the sale would force the people off the land.
They criticized the sale as “contrary to the spirit
of the Second Vatican Council,” and pointed out
that the original grant of land to the Church, made
several centuries ago, was as a stipend for Masses
to be said for the former owners.
The bishop later ceded the land to the farmers,
but at the same time the chancery office criticized
the four priests for having “sown discord among the
clergy and people, and for having caused confusion
in the souls of many.”
Portuguese Bishops
Relax Rules
LISBON — (RNS) — Portugal’s
Roman Catholic priests may wear
dark clerical suits instead of Cas
socks whenever they are not offi
ciating at religious services . . .
and they may go to the movies or
attend bullfights.
These concessions were an
nounced by the Portuguese hier
archy in its first joint statement
since the close of the Second
Vatican Council.
The permission to frequent
places of public entertainment re
placed strict rules in various dio
ceses against priests going to the
cinema or theater.
However, the bishops stressed
that priests must avoid entertain
ments which are “improper to
their ecclesiastical status.”
In their joint statement, the
bishops spoke of the close bonds
that should exist between priests
and their bishops. It cautioned
them against “unrest and dis
obedience” and said they should
renounce any “unpriestly activi
ties.”
Appointed
CHARLESTON, S.C. — <NC)
— Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoefler
has appointed Msgr. John L. Man
ning and William J. Croghan as
vicars general for the Charleston
diocese. Father Creston J. Tawes
has been named vicar for re
ligious education in the diocese.
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'Looks like an 'acid test1 for Ecumenism.1
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Paul-Emile Cardinal Leger,
Archbishop of Montreal (left)
greets the Anglican Archbishop of
Canterbury, Arthur Michael Ram
sey. The British Primate is on t
month-long tour visiting Church*,
in Canada.
Christian Unity—Real Possibility
OTTAWA, Ont. — (NC) —
Archbishop Michael Ramsey of
Canterbury, spiritual leader of 44
million members of the Anglican
Church throughout the world, has
been wearing a ring which was
presented to him by Pope Paul
VI during his tour of Canada.
In speeches and sermons the
Anglican primate repeatedly has
referred to the historic meeting
he had with the Pope last March
as evidence of the growing under
standing and communication be
tween Anglicans and Roman Cath
olics.
In his public appearances in
Canada, the archbishop is
ceiving further evidence of that
fraternal spirit. In Montreal he
was greeted by Paul Emile Car
dinal Leger of Montreal, and here
in Ottawa two Catholic prelates
attended a service which the pri
mate addressed in the Anglican
Christ Church Cathedral — Arch
bishop M. J. Lemieux of Ottawa
and Bishop P. E. Charbonneau of
Hull. Representatives of the
United Presbyterian, Lutheran,
Baptist and Greek Orthodox
churches also were present
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