Court deals symbolic blow to dying church in Spain
Court deals symbolic blow to dying church in
Spain
Traditional method of dealing with apostates
The Roman Catholic Church in Spain has lost a year-long legal battle to prevent one of its members from formally deserting, opening the way for hundreds of potential apostates to leave.
The National Court ruled that the archdiocese of Valencia, in eastern Spain, should note in its baptismal records that Manel Blat González, a 41-year old union worker, had left the church. The decision was a symbolic blow to the church, which faces a dwindling flock and disenchantment among a once-devout people who see it as increasingly out of step with modern life.
Dwindling? Liberated is more like it.
Blat, who was baptized 40 years ago, sent several applications to the church to have his name expunged from baptismal records after he became disillusioned by what he saw as the church’s narrow attitudes. Blat, who is gay, said he was particularly angered by the church’s stance on same-sex marriage, which is legal in Spain. “I felt I was part of an organization that neither wanted nor respected people like me,” Blat said in a telephone interview. “The church doesn’t represent my values.”
It’s especially interesting that many institutions that blather about “values” really mean they hold allegiance to rules and strictures that science and society have been leaving behind for centuries. They can’t and won’t face reality - and updating those “values”.
Posted: Sat - October 20, 2007 at 10:41 AM