Emancipation in Spain

In all the hopeful talk of a peaceful coming together of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, the conversation sooner or later gets down to Spain. The real Catholicism, say its most wary Protestant critics, is not to be found in the democratically coexisting church in the U.S. but in 99.7%-Catholic Spain. There, arch-conservative church leaders have for years treated Protestants with something of the hostility, though not the violence, that pagan Rome displayed toward the early Christians. Spanish laws theoretically grant the country's tiny (30,000) Protestant minority the right to the unhampered private exercise of their faith. But Protestant churches have no legal standing, and must operate as "foreign commercial firms." Missionaries have been fined and jailed for distributing the Bible, their churches shut for violations of obscure civil laws.

A Worried Official. A number of progressive Spanish Catholics have long suspected that the church's attitude to Protestantism is a major cause of anti-Spanish feeling in the world. One influential Spaniard who feels most strongly on the subject is Spain's Foreign Minister Fernando Maria Castiella y Maiz, 55, a Basque and a close friend of Malaga's reform-minded Bishop Angel Herrera. Six years ago, Castiella began sounding out Spanish prelates on the need to do something to ease non-Catholic tribulations in Spain. By way of setting an example, he persuaded the government to compensate the British and Foreign Bible Society for a police raid on its headquarters in 1956, and blocked a request by Catholic groups to close down a Baptist seminary in Barcelona.

In 1961, Castiella took his case to Rome. During a private audience with Pope John XXIII, he brought out a copy of a bill that would grant freedoms to Protestants, and explained to the Pope how thousands of non-Catholics visit Spain during the tourist season. "Is it better for these people," he asked, "to spend their Sundays cavorting on the beaches, or worshiping God in their own way?" Answered the Pope: "You are right, my son. Leave the draft with me." Last fall, at the Vatican Council. Augustin Cardinal Bea of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity argued with Spanish bishops on the Pope's behalf, urged them to adopt a more ecumenical attitude toward the country's Protestants.

Seminaries & Cemeteries. They did. A fortnight ago, at a secret meeting in Madrid, Spain's Metropolitan Council--composed of 15 ranking prelates, including four cardinals--approved in principle Castiella's "statute for non-Catholic religions." While still denying non-Catholics the right to proselytize, the proposed law will grant major Protestant churches juridical recognition as religious groups, allow them to run their own schools and seminaries, print and distribute their own translations of the Bible, operate hospitals and cemeteries. The proposed law even affirms the right of all Spaniards to hold every civic office but that of chief of state, who must be a Catholic -- as a British King or Queen must not be.

With the blessing of the Metropolitan Council, the bill -- which has been for warded to the Vatican for approval -- is virtually certain now to pass the Cortes.

It may be nullified in practice by individual Catholic politicians, but Spanish Protestants were jubilant. "It's great news." said Bishop Santos Molina of the Spanish Episcopal Church. Added a Baptist preacher from Barcelona: "We can at last live and die openly in our faith."

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