Vatican ups ante in dispute with Spain

[emad]

Vatican ups ante in dispute with Spain
27 Jan 2005 12:59:31 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The Vatican upped the ante in a diplomatic squabble with Spain on Thursday, criticising the Madrid government a day after it summoned the Holy See's ambassador to complain about a speech by Pope John Paul.

In a terse statement, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told the government in no uncertain terms to re-read the speech the Pope made earlier this week, which Madrid interpreted as an attack on religious freedom in Spain.

The Vatican's ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday and told that the Socialist government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was unhappy with what the Pope told Spanish bishops in Rome on Monday.

It is extremely rare for a government to summon a Vatican ambassador to hear a complaint, and even more rare in a Catholic country such as Spain.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L27230527.htm

[David__77]

1. Spanish government should move with lightning speed.

Once implemented, it will not be revoked. This is the rule of democracies by and large. Once a concession is made, taking it back is 1000% more difficult. Better to circumvent the shameful church (which stood by Franco but not the law-abiding lesbian and gay man) and pass it now--quickly.

[Burma Jones]

2. Wow, how Middle Ages can you get..............

[Ian David]

4. Do you remember the last time Spain listened to the Pope?

Nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition!

[yellowcanine]

3. Someone needs to remind his Holiness that when the Churcn meddled

in Spanish affairs before Spain got the Inquisition and Franco.

[xchrom]

5. the catholic church has such glorious reputation

to uphold in spain -- you know -- the inquisition, persecution of jews, support for franco....
i think the spanish government read the speech right the first time.