My friend Rafael Díaz Arias, a former reporter of foreign affairs for TVE (Spanish State Television) and who retired in early Spring from his position as professor in the Journalism Faculty of the Madrid Complutense University, has been writing a blog for several years called Periodismo Global: la otra mirada (Global Journalism: the other viewpoint).

Now in this month of September and under the title Guerra ideológica (Ideological Warfare), Rafael has published a series of three short articles about messages of hate speech that circulate in the social media. His articles contain counter arguments that explain the real context of the false arguments of the social media.

Although his blog incorporates a simultaneous translator in more than 50 languages,

Mi amigo Rafael Díaz Arias, anteriormente reportero de asuntos exteriores de TVE y recién jubilado de su cargo de profesor en la Facultad de Periodismo de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, publica desde hace varios años un blog llamado Periodismo Global: la otra mirada.

Ahora en este mes de septiembre y bajo el título Guerra ideológica, Rafael ha publicado tres artículos sobre los mensajes de odio que circulan por las redes sociales y presenta argumentos clarificadores que explican el contexto real.

INTRODUCTION by Hugo Castelli Eyre

The annual Theology Congresses, held in Madrid, in the 2^nd week of September, mark the start of year’s activities in the Spanish Grassroots Christian Movement in the same way as the Church’s year starts in Advent. These Congresses are an expression of Liberation Theology as explained in Benjamín Forcano’s article Liberation Theology in Europe – Spain, available on this website.

Consequently, they are an expression of secular theology for religious and lay people and are not subject to the Spanish hierarchy of the Catholic Church. In fact, the reason why each year the Congress is held in the auditorium of the Trades Union Comisiones Obreras (Workers Committees), which graciously charges no rental for the event, is because the Spanish Bishops Conference forbade any religious organization in Madrid to offer their lecture theatres to the Congress and when sometimes a religious order agreed to hold the Congress, the incumbent Cardinal or Archbishop of Madrid contacted the Vatican to force the religious order through their general manager to cancel their acceptance of the Congress on pain of…

INTRODUCCIÓN por Hugo Castelli Eyre

Los Congresos de Teología anuales, celebrados en Madrid, en la 2ª quincena de septiembre, marcan el comienzo de las actividades del año nuevo en el Movimiento de Cristianas y Cristianos de Base de la misma forma en que el año litúrgia de la Iglesia empieza en Adviento. Estos congresos son una expresión de la Teología de la Liberación tal como se explica en el artículo de Benjamín Forcano La Teología de la Liberacion en Europa – España, 

Por consiguiente, se tratan de una expresión de teología seglar para religiosas/os y laicas/os y no están sujetos a la jerarquía española de la Iglesia Católica. De hecho, la razón por la cual cada año se celebran en el auditorio del sindicato Comisiones Obreras, que amablemente no cobra alquiler para el evento, es porque la Conferencia Episcopal Española prohibió a todas las organizaciones religiosas en Madrid para que no ofrecieran sus auditorios al Congreso y cuando, algunas veces, algún órden religiosa acordó organizar el Congreso de Teologia en sus instalaciones, el cardenal o arzobispo titular de Madrid contactaba con el Vaticano para forzar a la órden religiosa a través de su jefatura a rescindir su decisión so pena de...

Madrid, 7th-9th September 2018

Towards a mysticism of open eyes, a caring heart and a politically effective love

Juan José Tamayo

General Secretary of the John XXIII Association of Female and Male Theologians and director of the “Ignacio Ellacuría” Chair of Theology and Sciences of Religions of the Carlos III University of Madrid

We inaugurate today a new (annual) Theology Congress, the 38th!, with a subject we had never treated previously : “Mysticism and Liberation”. Its celebration coincides – and this is not casual – with the centenary of the birth of Raimon Panikkar, an itinerant mystic, who knew how to combine in his life and line of thought both dimensions with an extraordinary and reconciling coherence in his personality, mystical experiences of different religions: jewish, christian, hinduist, buddhist and secular mysticism. It coincides with the 90th anniversary of female and male theologians who shone by their own merits, lived and thought mysticism not as an evasion and flight from history, but in the heart of reality with all its contradictions.

I refer to Gustavo Gutiérrez, for whom the method of Liberation Theology is spirituality, to Johan Baptist Metz, who proposes a “mysticism of open eyes”, that leads to suffering with others, to suffering with the pain of others; to Pedro Casaldàliga, who lives mysticism in the aesthetic expression of his poetry, in his engagement with the poor of the land and the defence of the rights of the indigenous and Afro-descendent communities; to Hans Küng, an example of interreligious mysticism that leads to the symmetrical dialogue of religions, spiritualities and knowledge; to Dorothee Sölle (1929-2003), who knew how to harmoniously combine in her life and her theology mysticism and feminism from a resistance standpoint.

This year is also the eightieth anniversary of the birth of Leonardo Boff, who defined male and female christians as

Cliquez sur Commission Éducation et culture

I have now received the full correct version in .pdf so please click on Education & Culture Committee

Nos temos o prazer em anexar traduçao da Carta ao Papa Francisco da Conferência dos Batizados (as) de Lingua Francesa

Texto traduzido por Maria Joao Sande Lemos

Desde el viernes 7 de septiembre hasta el domingo 9, se ha celebrado en Madrid en el auditorio del sindicato Comisiones Obreras, el 38 Congreso anual de Teología.  A continuación:  el discurso de apertura y un apunte.  Translations in English & French to follow

Madrid, 7-9 de septiembre de 2018

Hacia una mística de ojos abiertos, corazón solidario y amor políticamente eficaz

Juan José Tamayo

Secretario General de la Asociación de Teólogas y Teólogos Juan XXIII y director de la Cátedra de Teología y Ciencias de las Religiones “Ignacio Ellacuría”, de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Inauguramos hoy un nuevo Congreso de Teología, ¡el 38!, con un tema que no habíamos tratado hasta ahora: “Mística y liberación”. Su celebración coincide –y no es causal- con el centenario del nacimiento de Raimon Panikkar, místico itinerante, que supo aunar en su vida y su pensamiento ambas dimensiones con una extraordinaria coherencia y conciliar en su persona experiencias místicas de diferentes religiones: judía, cristiana, hinduista, budista, y la mística secular. Coincide también con el 90 aniversario de teólogas y teólogos que brillaron con luz propia, vivieron y pensaron la mística no como evasión y huida de la historia, sino en el corazón de la realidad con todas sus contradicciones.

Me refiero a Gustavo Gutiérrez, para quien el método de la teología de la liberación es la espiritualidad; a Johan Baptist Metz, que propone una “mística de ojos abiertos”, que lleva a con-sufrir, a sufrir con el dolor de los demás; a Pedro Casaldàliga, que vive la mística en el bien decir estético de su poesía, en el compromiso con los pobres de la tierra y en defensa de los derechos de las comunidades indígenas y afrodescendientes; a Hans Küng, ejemplo de mística interreligiosa que conduce al diálogo simétrico de religiones, espiritualidades y saberes; a Dorothee Sölle (1929-2003), que supo compaginar en su vida y su teología armónicamente mística y feminismo desde la resistencia.

Este año es también el ochenta aniversario del nacimiento Leonardo Boff, que definió a los cristianos y cristianas como

EN-RE publishes and supports the appeal to Pope Francis by the Conference of Francophone Baptized Catholics for a Council of God's People:

Francophone Baptized Catholics Conference (CCBF)

76 rue de la Verrerie

Paris 75004

Letter to Pope Francis

31^st August 2018,

Subject: Demand for a Council of God’s People

Dear Holy Father,

Following the massive disclosures of a large number of scandals of the Church concerning the sexual abuse of minors by priests, you have addressed a letter to God’s People, in which you condemn clericalism as one of the causes of this evil and you have appealed to the baptized persons to help you resolve the problem. We want to respond to your appeal.

We firmly support all your initiatives and try to implement what you recommend. Previously, the Conference of Baptized Persons (CCBF) had widely circulated and commented your previous documents on the following subjects, Evangelii Gaudium, your address on the last council in 2015 and your Letter to Cardinal Ouellet in 2016, in all of which you already mentioned the ‘mobilization of the Baptized’ in the life of the Church, the need to practice ‘audacity’, the need to ‘turn the pyramid upside down’ and the ‘primacy of the common priesthood of the faithful’.

Today, the credibility of our Church is, not only dented,