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M ADRID, Spain (NC) — Catholics, 99 percent of Spain's population, cannot in conscience use the country's new law permitting divorce, the -1:‘ nation's bishops have declared. The first divorce law in Spain in according to the Gospel for those in a new 42 years was enacted by Parlia- situation with whom the Church wants to deal as the mother she is," the bishops ment on June 22.
It legalises civil divorce by mutual con- said. The Christian Democratic faction in sent or on grounds of adultery, cruelty, desertion, alcoholism, lengthy imprison- parliament failed in attempts to tighten ment of one partner or failure to fulfil the law by giving judges more power to refuse divorce applications, especially if conjugal duties. It also allows civil annulment of mar- they judged the divorce would cause riages by minors or by non-consenting undue harm to children or one of the spouses. The Christian Democrats are adults. Prior to enactment of the law married still trying to introduce reforms, but couples wishing to end their relationship observers doubt parliament will act on had legal -recourse only to a separation them. The commission announced that spewhich did not break the marriage bond. The Justice Ministry, which sponsored cial guidelines were in preparation and the law, estimates that 500,000 couples should be issued soon after the implemenwho are separated will flock to the courts tation of the law at the end of the summer. Parliament still needs to pass companto terminate their marriages legally. Most of them are baptised Catholics who con- ion legislation establishing procedures for implementing the law. tracted sacramental marriages. A new Spanish Constitution approved " According to their conscience, Catholics cannot make use of the possibilities by 90 per cent of the voters in 1978 recoggiven them by this law of civil divorce. nised a right to civil divorce but provided Those who divorce are placing them- no specific legislation to govern such selves in an irregular situation before God proceedings. and the Church. Early the following year the Vatican " We seriously regret the enactment of a and the Spanish Government signed an law that harms the stability of marriage agreement making major changes in the and leaves its dissolution in such a broad 1953 concordat. Among the changes, the form to the whim of the partners," said Church gave up its ability to block civil the permanent commission of the Span- divorce. ish Bishops' Conference in a statement on Spain had a divorce law in the 1930s, June 27 at the end of a special meeting. but the government of Gen. Francisco " Placed before God, the Church cannot Franco abolished it in 1939. approve of the dissolution of sacramental This left couples wishing to end their marriage or recognise a second mar- marriage with the options of legal separariage," the commission added. tion or Church annulment. The country's previous constitution " We must find at all costs a pastoral approach to tend to the divorced persons, did not recognise civil divorce. It recogwithout failing the law of God or betray- nised only Church-granted annulments. ing the Christian demands imposed by The country's 1953 concordat with the the sacraments," the bishops said. Holy See gave the Church the right to " Our intent is to offer orientation block civil divorce proceedings.
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hina post pastoral
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Pastoral concern more than political considerations led Pope John Paul ll to make the first appointment of a bishop in China since 1955, a Taiwanese bishop said recently.
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Among the 150 friends and former pupils who gathered last Friday night at dinner to celebrate the 85th birthday of Miss Lily Kavanagh (centre) were, left to right, Mrs Joanne Bowen, Mrs Elizabeth Kennedy, Mrs Ann Cullity and Mrs Eve White.
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Bishop Joseph also said bishop Tang, upon arriv- the Holy See," he added. that the influence of the ing in Hong Kong, said: "I Very few Catholics in National Association of was surprised to hear I was China take the patriotic Patriotic Catholics is exag- made vice-chairman...bec- association seriously, he gerated in the media ause that is an office that I said. can never be responsible beyond all proportion. Archbishop Tang, impri- for. I am more than "People do not want anysoned for 22 years, was amazed now to know that thing to do with them, and recently appointed archbi- they have taken away that it never penetrates the shop of Canton and is at title from me." countryside," he said. present in Hong Kong But Taiwanese Bishop Tibefore returning to China. Kian rejects the influence "For us," he noted, "they Since the appointment a claimed by the association are only instruments of the month ago, patriotic asso- and other moves towards c ommunist government. Very few people are in the ciation spokesmen have Archbishop Tang. made the Vatican, Pope The government and the association. John Paul and Archbishop Communist Party will "The free world knows so Tang the target of frequent attempt to manipulate little about it, and for those A rchbishop Tang's of us who attacks. know better, we "Such a man is no longer appointment to make feel it is a pity that it has w orthy of being our themselves look good, such an (influential) image. bishop," said Liu Hanchi, Bishop Ti-Kang said. The mass media has misrevice chairman of the Can- "We should not confuse presented the patriotic ton Catholic association. the political and the reli- association, exaggerated "We should cast him gious," said Bishop Ti- (it) beyond proportion," Kang. aside." the bishop said. In Hong Kong the pro- "I think the pope's actions Peking newspaper, Wen are pastoral and that the A ccording to Father Wei Po, said that delegates holy father and the Holy Matthias Lu, the Oakland from the Canton Patriotic See did not have in mind to diocese's vicar for Oriental A ssociation decided to improve relations between peoples who was present strip Archbishop Tang of the Vatican and mainland during the interview, only his see and his vice- China in the political 80 people were members of chairmanship of the sense, but rather to help the association among Catholics there who have Peking's 300 ,000 Catholassociation. Asked to comment, Arch- suffered for their loyalty to ics when he visited in 1979.