Above: the Roman Catholic cathedral in Valencia.
Walking down Valencia’s narrow streets on a humid evening, we see reminders of Spain’s religious past. Standing out from the orange buildings, grand Roman Catholic churches rise on street corners, though many would have been mosques during the Moors’ 500-year rule.
It is more recent history, however, that has the biggest impact on sharing the gospel in Spain. However hard it is to believe, Spain has only, by law, had religious freedom for 50 years. Before this, Francisco Franco, the fascist dictator who ruled Spain for almost 40 years, ensured that the Roman Catholic church was the only accepted religion. The Roman Catholic Church has a damaging reputation here for supporting Franco’s position.
When talking with Spaniards about anything ‘religious’ – even with those who weren’t alive during the Franco era – we find this period plays a significant role in their views on God and organised religion. Although many will talk about their belief in (and even their respect for) Jesus and Bible stories, the dictatorship has led to hurt, suspicion and distrust in any institution – including the evangelical church.
The ‘Pacto del Olvido’ (‘Pact of Forgetting’) still prevents recrimination for what happened during that time, as well as the uncovering of any serious crimes. The Roman Catholic Church’s support for the Pact influences how people view their integrity. The Biblical gospel offers hope and justice in the face of this: forgiveness of sin is not equated with forgetting or excusing sin.
God never stops being a God of justice. Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross does not allow God to brush sin under the carpet. Instead, the sin is punished and paid for by Jesus. As we share the gospel in this context, we must clearly articulate the seriousness of sin, just as Jesus did. We must make a clear distinction between Jesus’ beautiful integrity and the God-dishonouring sins of the recent past – as well as the forgiveness to be found in his death.
Although the legacy of the Franco era is unique to Spain, there are other aspects of sharing the gospel in a post-Roman Catholic culture that would be familiar in other European and South American countries.
Christians in Spain have often taken one of two approaches to sharing the gospel in a Roman Catholic culture. Some Christians have decided that the errors of the teaching in the Roman Catholic Church mean that it‘s best for Protestant churches to look different in every single way. These churches meet in very normal buildings, shy from all forms of official liturgy, and even avoid making too much of official festivals like Christmas and Easter so they’re not mistaken as Roman Catholic.
Others have taken the approach of trying to work alongside Roman Catholics and ignoring the differences. Maybe there is a middle ground? What if the Protestant church service was reverent and liturgical so that Roman Catholics felt welcome, but the words of the liturgy and sermon clearly set out the true gospel and were open about how official Roman Catholic teaching is erroneous and potentially dangerous? As we continue to work out how we witness to those who are in some ways so close, and yet still so very far, there are some things we are certain we can do. We can emphasise the assurance we have because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, rather than our works or prayers to ‘Saints’. We can teach carefully about the authority of the Bible over and above the authority of the church. And rather than going via Mary or the ‘Saints’, we can also share the delight of direct access to God, who is both near and available to the ordinary believer.