Spain

REDES CRISTIANAS's (Christian Networks) 

(Redes Cristianas is a platform constituted by 200 grassroots Catholic  groups, communities and movements in the Spanish State)

(Update of  document of the same name, published in 2008  by Redes Cristianas)

[ Spanish ]

Redes Cristianas is strongly committed to the independence, mutual respect and collaboration between the State and religious denominations and advocates a secular state that cancels the current covert confessionalism in favour of a Church solely inspired by the Gospel and not subject to any State interference.

Conscious that the current Church / State relationship in Spain, based on the Agreements of 1979, has been the main obstacle to separating the two and is currently generating a major discontent in many sectors, whether Catholic or otherwise, Redes Cristianas  openly expresses its commitment to secularism and invites all those institutions and individuals motivated by this democratic objective to work together to actively collaborate to build a secular State.

WE ARE CHURCH SPAIN (Corriente Somos Iglesia)

Report to IMWAC Meeting, Vienna, March 2015

Due to the very small number of members, we work together with the big network of base groups “Redes Cristianas” (Christian networks) (www.redescristianas.net)

The main projects and activities of Redes Cristianas  during this year are:

1. Stablish contact with other Catholic groups, open minded but more connected with the institutional structure: congregations, catholic groups like Caritas, Justice and Peace and so on.
2. Keep regular contact with non religious groups whose goal is to promote the real separation between the State and the Church. We have participated in several joint activities, statements etc…
3. Organize the V General Assembly of Redes Cristianas to be held in Madrid, October 2015. The lemma in this occasion is: “Junt@s para cambiar”, “Together to change”
4. This assembly is very important for us: the number of participants is big: around 400 persons are expected, the participation is big: workshops, celebrations, public demonstration, etc. People from all parts of Spain are coming. We also expect some people from Latin America.
5. The conclusions and final statement of this Assembly will be presented in the Council 50 meeting in Rome, November 2015.
6. We are trying to initiate some kind of contact with some bishops that seem to be more open minded now, influenced by the Pope.
7. Concerning the Family Synod, we are offering our web page in order that some people may answer the questions of the second questionnaire there and we will send them to Rome when the deadline is close.
8. Probably, imitating what some of We Are Church groups have done, we will select some of the questions and write some statement that we will send to Rome and the media too.
9. Due to the new alternative political parties that have appeared in Spain recently, some members of the groups belonging to Redes Cristianas are participating actively in them, individually, of course. But we, as a network, are open to possible collaboration with them in some concrete aspects that are favorable to a society less dependent of the churches, and more close to the poor, unemployed, migrants,…
10. We are supporting Pope Francis in his efforts to change the Church, his example of austerity and his claiming for social justice but we keep at the same time our criticism and activities to contribute to the democratic transformation of the Church.