¿No Credible Alternative?

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Friday February 06, 2004 19:16 by iosaf © Iosaf the ipsiphi O as if.

Being the first attack of iosaf's 2004 on the Roman Catholic church in Europe.

The post mayday 2004 Europe of 450,000,000 shall see established a very different balance between RC and Lutheran, Calvinist, Humanist, Anglican, and Orthodox than at any point since the collapse of the Hapsburg empire.
And in the lead-up the most powerful RC churches are quite obviously attempting to stop any increased "secularisation" which ought be inevitable.
We ought now consider the effects on certain rights issues which are very dear to the indymedia family, such as :-
"a woman's right to choose", the right to be "gay", the right to "divorce", the right to "sex education", & the right to "secularisation" of both legislature and exectuive and education.

Now before anyone get's on the "iosaf hates religion trip"-
With rather minor differences in all European and American systems of religious law, religious freedom contains the following rights.

* the right to believe or not believe whatever pleases the individual

* the right to follow whatever cult the individual wishes to follow

* the right to exercice this cult freely and publicly, as long as certain fundamental requirements of social life are not infringed

* the right to change one's religion and adherence to any religious body

* the right to form religious bodies and so exercise the freedom of religion in community with others

* the right to exercise one's religion freely not only as a cult, but also in terms of social behaviour : for instance running hospitals, homes for the elderly, kindergartens, etc

* increasingly : the right that state subsidies are given of make religious life in fact possible ; at least not to treat religious needs worse than any other social needs.

Numerous international treaties include special protection of religious freedom : art. 9 European Convention on human rights, ECHR, Art. 18, International Treaty on Civil and Political Rights, Art. 18, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.


You have READ THAT? ok.
you can go on now...


It's rather more difficult for me to write on these issues paying special focus to the RC Church in Spain, than many may at first think. I live in the gothic quarter of Barcelona, a city termed by the Italian newspaper yesterday as "the Sodom of mare nostrum", tolerance has developed a multi-cultural city where such issues generally no longer excite divisive debate. & being neither gay or a woman I'm not sure how well I might do commenting on what's good for either community beyond what seems "ethical" in the context of extending community and social participation which is not gender politically based or manipulated.

But I'll have a go anyway. Because elsewhere the Iberian Peninsula is not tolerant liberal tinted rosey glasses Bcn. That elsewhere is where the majority of Spanish are to be found, continuing their lives as citizens of one of the key member states of the EU. And with forthcoming expansion of Europe, the "RC" states of the EU shall see more intense rightwing colloboration than ever before.
Religion is on the agenda.
The post mayday 2004 Europe of 450,000,000 shall see established a very different balance between RC and Lutheran, Calvinist, Humanist, Anglican, and Orthodox than at any point since the collapse of the Hapsburg empire.

So it is very much time to put a critical eye on the political stances adopted by RC bishops most particularly in Spain and Italy.

Where they are most certainly to be associated with repressive and regressive authoritarianism.

some examples:-
Example 1.

Spanish Archbishop, Monseñor Francisco Pérez González, speaking at the funeral of the Spanish Civil Guard Commander, Gonzalo Pérez García, who has died from his injuries following being shot in the head in Iraq, praised the victim for his efforts to guarantee 'peace and security'. He even gave his life in the generous service of others, said the archbishop.

The Guardia Civil commander died after being in a coma since he was shot in the head in the area of Iraq known as "Hamsa".

This tragic event stook in my mind for two reasons, he belonged to the "plus ultra" regiment of the Guardia Civil, and "hamsa"
is the name of one of the okupe social spaces facing imminent eviction. It also caused many others to remember that the same commander, of the regiment "plus ultra" had been subject to extensive investigation in the case known as "zabalza" in which an unarmed youth was killed by security forces in the Basque november 1995.

Clearly the work of a soldier dedicated to "peace" and security doesn't always appear to be so "·morally·" black and white as the above quoted RC Archbishop. But since 1950 there has been a military ordinate afforded the state of Spain, and Spanish soldiers have thus their own Bishop.
This makes Spanish "chess" very interesting, all those Bishops, pawns, queens, and castles. Which brings me to the King and his various knighthoods.
The King as go on face it you probably don't know, even if you've been reading Eoghan Harris since he threw petrol bombs, is one of the crucial heriditary members of the "Order of Constantine".
Now they my brethren are heavy shit. They are dedicated in a heriditary sort of way to guaranteeing "the church" (not the kirk) in the catholic lands and "out there" on the frontiers of christendom. And they've been doing it a long time. You will have perhaps learnt some of their more important dates, and may even as punishment in school copied out one of th boring epic poems dedicated to their exploits.

Example 2.

In another attack on gays and lesbians the Secretary of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in Valencia, Manuel Checa, has claimed that 'at least half' of homosexuals have, in his opinion 'certain perversions since they are young' motivated by the repression they suffer or a lack of information. He made the comments when asked about the possibility of marriage between homosexuals. He said the possibility was surprising for many in society, especially among its older members.

These same weeks, this same establishment has not issued one word on the continuing presence of a PP mayor who has been found guilty of underage sex (with his friend's daughter).


Example 3.

The Spanish RC church has presented on the back of more canonisations than any other country in the last ten years, some lovely little advice in a new book.
"The little family book"
We had one in Ireland, so it will come as no surprise that all the usuals are all the usual, but in some areas the post Aznar bishops really plumed new depths:-
Spain suffers domestic violence more than any other European state, more women are killed by their lovers or exlovers in Spain than anywhere else. 30% more in 2003 than in 2002. And the RC bishops, have decided that domestic violence is the product of "sexual liberation".
The answer?¿? More oh yes more control of schools.
Now South America is some of you know, where left wing politics comes into most interesting contact with Roman Catholic theology. In the new post Aznar geo-political climate, we can be sure that _rightwing_ rather than "liberation theology" will find friends with "the catholic investors" of Spain. Increasingly this "class" along with their Italian cousins, who find Mr Burlosconi "too unacceptable" (more so without wrinkles) are finding that interest rates in South America are a vital consideration to keeping all those little nest eggs safe.
Yesterday Jose Maria Aznar practising RC, (who has met the Pope more than any other EU leader), held yet another of his valedictory speeches. {It's really boring, every day Aznar
issues more soundbytes somewhere else and all on the theme of "goodbye won't you miss me, my succesor is my truly appointed, oh and I scored big time with Iraq."}
Yesterday it was the turn of the European conservatives compact little José Maria told the XVI congress of the European Conservative Parties that 'there is no credible alternative' to the good relationship between Europe and the United States, in order to maintain peace and stability in the world. He made the statement just a day after appearing before members from both houses in the United States congress where he told his audience of the continuing danger presented by arms of mass destruction. It has been revealed that only ten per cent of US congressmen attended Aznar's speech, with those absent seeing their seats occupied by students and other guests.
And amongst those guests I assure you, were US RC Bishops.

Here endeth the lesson.
+++
iosaf = ipsiphi = o as if = sofia © (I do look as good in a dress as any cardinal but I truthfully derive no sexual pleasure from it)

background sources.

condemnation by BCN gay rights group.(just published we think together like eh?)
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/70162/index.php
background to Cmdt Gonzalo Pérez García
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/67858
and I C/P a bit from this site it's in english go read it, it's copyleft you can reproduce/broadcast it if you've a radio station or a CB or just get a paper cup and string from your mammy.
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news.htm
and this is me being silly.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62804&search_text=iosaf