Madrid, Spain, May 14, 2008 / 13:20 pm
Bishop Demetrio Fernandez of Tarazona (Spain) has written a pastoral letter in which he points out that the Spanish bishops agree on the need to update the country’s law on religious freedom, but they fear a reform would be an excuse to impose fanatical secularism that would expel all religion from the public square.
In response to plans by Socialist leaders to reform the law on religious freedom, Bishop Fernandez said, “We are not concerned that other religions present in Spain acquire recognition of their civil rights,” because “before the Spanish government said anything, Vatican II proclaimed it to the whole world 40 years ago, and we hope citizens of all countries on earth acquire these rights.”