Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticized the ‘aggressive’ antichurch sentiment that he said was flourishing in Spain as he sought to rekindle the faith in a once staunchly Roman Catholic nation that is now among Europe’s most liberal. The Church is fighting laws supported by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s Socialist government that have allowed same-sex marriage, expedited divorce and eased restrictions on abortions. The pope’s first stop on a two-day trip that began on 6 November was in the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela. Pope Benedict told reporters that the anticlericalism seen now in Spain was reminiscent of the 1930s, when the church suffered a wave of violence and persecution as the country lurched into civil war. The reference was striking given the scale of violence then, when the Roman Catholic Church claims that 4,184 clergy members were killed, accused of backing Franco’s fascist dictatorship.

Pray: that the Pope’s visit will strengthen the faith of the Spanish nation. (1Co.16:13)

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/world/europe/07pope.html?ref=europe